


Strani Amori

by Priscibeur



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Bodyguard Alec Lightwood, Detective Jace Herondale, Fashion Designer Magnus Bane, Fluff and Humor, Good Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern | Sebastian Verlac, I live for family drama so expect lots of it, Insecure Magnus Bane, Light Angst, M/M, No relationship drama, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Siblings, Strangers to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, not a slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-07-07 09:44:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15905787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Priscibeur/pseuds/Priscibeur
Summary: After Magnus gets attacked in his home by a crazy fan, Raphael decides to hire a bodyguard for him. Alec is recommended and the two get along very quickly. However, life gets in the way: Alec's family becomes an even bigger mess, he's trying to work out the feelings he has for Magnus and it appears Magnus' attack was not so random...





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! For those who have already read some of my work: welcome back and thank you for sticking with me.  
> For the new comers: welcome! Thank you for joining me on this ride and I hope you'll enjoy it.  
> This is the first time I'm going for a “long” multi-chaptered fic, so I hope it will be worth your while. I cannot promise a regular schedule as inspiration comes and goes as it wants. I only hope I'll be able to post often.
> 
> Also, I dedicated this fic to one of my close friends who passed away recently. She always told me to believe in myself, do what made me happy and encouraged me for my fics, no matter how much I annoyed her with them. This one's for you, Joh.
> 
> Enjoy this first chapter and feel free to point out what you liked, what you didn't like and any possible mistakes you encountered. I'm not a native English speaker and do not have a Beta, so please point out the mistakes.
> 
> Until next time <3

Magnus was sitting at the dining table in his kitchen, trying to forget everything that was going on around him at the moment. Actually, he was trying to forget the entire night. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around it for now and he sincerely hoped he’d never have to face another situation like that, ever again. He brought the tea cup to his lips and blew on it, before taking a small gulp. The hot beverage made him relax a bit and he could feel his muscles get loose. He looked up from his cup when he heard his name come out of Raphael’s mouth and frowned. He hadn’t been paying attention to what Raphael and the blond man were saying but he did not like what he thought he just heard.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” he intervened. Both heads turned to him, apparently surprised by Magnus’ intervention.

“You know it’s for the best, Magnus” Raphael insisted.

“ _Por Dios_ , Raphael, is this really necessary?” Magnus groaned. His friend clenched his jaw, clearly trying to keep together not to yell at Magnus, but the man couldn’t give a damn at the moment.

“You were attacked in your home, Magnus. Of course, it is necessary” Raphael simply stated.

Magnus scoffed at that. Yes, someone had broken into his loft but he was fine. He’d heard the suspicious noise and managed to call the police before hiding somewhere safe. Then the officers came in, arrested the guy and made sure Magnus was safe. True, most of his loft had turned into a crime scene but it was still his home, so he saw reason for him to move out, let alone hire a freaking bodyguard.

“Detective, please, could you tell him he’s overreacting?” he pleaded.

The blond detective, Herondale if Magnus recalled correctly, pursed his lips and shook his head, as he shrugged.

“Sorry, sir, but I’m on his side” he said.

“Of course you are” he sighed, rolling his eyes, but Herondale clearly didn’t like his reaction.

“You were attacked in your home, Mr. Bane” he started again, using a much harsher tone. “Someone invaded your privacy, your safe place. You can’t tell me you’ll go to sleep reassured, because I know that’s not possible” he then assured.

Magnus tried to keep a straight face, and it worked because he had spent years perfecting it, but he hated that his words had hit him right in his feelings. Of course he hated the fact that someone had invaded his privacy. His safe place. The first place he truly felt at home, safe and secure. He hated that someone had been given the power to make him feel this low, this powerless and helpless. He’d spent so much time in his life trying to be confident and strong, he couldn’t believe someone had managed to come in and shattered all of this in just a few minutes. He couldn’t let this person define the way he was going to pursue his life, he couldn’t give them this kind of power. He eventually sighed, ready to try and make some kind of compromise with Raphael but his friend beat him to it.

“ _Por favor_ , Magnus” he pleaded. “Let’s chose a new place for you, then we’ll hire someone trustworthy.”

Magnus scoffed again.

“And how could you be sure they are trustworthy, Raphael?” he asked in a deeply annoyed tone. Raphael sighed, he didn’t have any proper, nor concrete answer except that he was going to work his ass off to make sure Magnus was fully safe. However, the detective seemed to have an idea since he put up his hand to catch their attention.

“I can recommend you someone” he said. “My elder brother is a bodyguard, I can assure you, he’s very dedicated to the job” he added.

Magnus couldn’t help the fake smile that took place on his face. This detective might seem good at his job but he wasn’t helping Magnus’ case right now, at all, so he needed him to lay low.

“Is he as charming as you are?”

The blond man snickered, as if he had been expecting something like that from Magnus and sent him a fake smile as well.

“I’m adopted, so we both have a charm of our own” he replied.

Magnus lost his smile almost immediately and looked at his hands. Family was always a sensitive topic for him. As much as he wanted to be happy for all of those who had these apparent perfect families, he couldn’t help but feel jealous and wonder why he didn’t have the chance to have a somewhat stereotypical family. With his two parents, maybe siblings and be happy and feel like he belonged somewhere with this constant support from his family. Instead, he had spent his life in an orphanage, since he was eight years old, after his mother killed herself and his step-father just abandoned him. He had no relatives, no one who could take him, that was when he started to feel all alone. Shortly after, he met Raphael and found a brother in him. Earning his trust had not been easy, as Raphael was really guarded and never hang with the rest of the children. Eventually, Magnus managed to crawl into the young boy’s heart and now, they were family. He had the chance to find people who he belonged with, but he still vividly remembered what it felt like to feel lonely and like, you were never going to find a loving family. Because he remembered of that feeling, he understood that he had overstepped and that the detective hadn’t deserve what he said.

“My apologies” he said sincerely.

The blond man sent him a reassuring smile, showing he wasn’t really affected by it and shook his head.

“No need” he simply stated. He then turned to Raphael. “Mister Santiago, I’ll talk to him and send you his info. I’m sure he’ll agree and contact you soon.”

“I will wait to hear from him then. Thank you for your time, detective Herondale” Raphael said, shaking his hand.

The detective gave them both a nod, then left them alone in the kitchen. Magnus waited until the man was far enough to stand up and look at Raphael.

“I am not hiring a bodyguard.”

Raphael sighed, having been expecting this type of reaction form Magnus. Of course Magnus wouldn’t think his safety was important. He would never admit he was in danger, or needed protection, even if he had a gun put to his head. Magnus passed him to go through the living room, where the police officers were wrapping up, before walking to the hallway, to go into his room but Raphael caught him by the arm before he could enter.

“Magnus. Please. You have to listen to me, this is for your own safety” Raphael pleaded.

“I can take care of myself” he replied. “I did well today, didn’t I? I managed not to die or get hurt, so I think I’m good.”

“Magnus...”

“I’m going to sleep at a hotel tonight” he cut him off. “I need a night alone. I’m also meeting Madzie for lunch tomorrow so you won’t see me until tomorrow night.”

“Please, just...”

“Enough!” he exclaimed. “Please.”

Raphael could see Magnus was on the verge of crying, of letting all his emotion come back rushing through him and seeing Magnus lash out was not something he could deal with right now. Right now, he needed to make sure his best friend was safe and was going to remain safe. So he simply nodded, muttering that he was going to take care of everything for him. Magnus nodded and thank him before entering his room. He leaned against the closed door and deeply exhaled, trying to get all of the flooding emotions out of his body. He wouldn’t admit it to Raphael, but this entire situation had much more impact on him than he led on. Detective Herondale had been right. Someone had broken into his safe place, he didn’t think he could safe anymore, not until something changed.

***

The next day, Magnus walked into the coffee shop, on the NYU campus, feeling refreshed and better. Not perfect, but better. His night at the hotel had been quieter and much more relaxing than he had first thought. Sure, the long and warm bath had helped but a night out of his daily life felt nice. Especially after what had happened. He now felt like a new man, ready to get back on track. True, he needed a new and safer place, but there was no way in hell he was getting a bodyguard. Maybe he could try and convince Madzie to help him convince Raphael. He spotted the 18-year-old girl, her hair in a bun, glasses on her nose and it deep in books. She was scribbling on a paper, next to her book and Magnus couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, happy to see her so enthusiastic about her work.

“Hey there, love” he greeted her when he was next to her. Madzie startled and turned her head, relieved to see it was Magnus. She stood up and hugged him tightly. Magnus’s eyes widen, surprised to receive such a greeting. He and Madzie shared a strong bond, they loved each other very much, but this type of hugs were reserved for important situations, not a simple lunch. Magnus hugged her back as tightly though, and smiled at her when she took a step back.

“Are you alright?” he worried.

“Now that I’ve seen you, yes. Raphael called me this morning” she simply said. Magnus rolled his eyes at that, sitting down, facing Madzie’s chair.

“He had no reason to make you worry. I’m fine.”

Annoyed, Madzie rolled her eyes, something she had taken from Magnus, and sat down too.

“You were attacked in your home, Mags, don’t tell me you’re fine” she countered.

Magnus played with his fingers, trying to find a way to reassure her, but he couldn’t lie to her.

“I might not be completely fine, but I will be” he replied. “So there’s no need for a bodyguard, like he suggested.”

“Aren’t you scared, though?” she asked. Magnus sighed. He should have known there would be no way for him to escape this conversation with Madzie. She always knew how to make him admit things he wished he could keep secret. That was the beauty of their bond actually. They couldn’t lie to each other, they both knew when the other felt bad and they also knew exactly what the other needed to get better. At this moment, Madzie knew Magnus needed to hear the right words to be open to an idea he wouldn’t had agree to even hear to begin with.

“Of course I’m scared, sweet pea” Magnus finally admitted. “But I cannot let fear dictate my life.”

“But, there’s nothing wrong with being cautions, though” she added. She had a small smile on her face, knowing she was working her way in and that he would cave in really soon. Magnus chuckled, amused by the look on her face and shook his head.

“You’re too smart for you own good” he sighed but nodded.

Madzie simply shrugged.

“You taught me well” she answered. Magnus nodded and muttered a small ‘That I did’, as Madzie reached over the table to take his hand. He knew she was right. No matter how much he dreaded the idea of having someone following his every move, he knew there was nothing wrong with being cautious and making sure he was safe. Plus, it would only be temparory, right? Just enough time for Magnus to feel better, reassure his close ones and be able to fully move on from the incident. He could already imagine Raphael’s face when he was going to agree with him.

“Now, moving on to more fun subjects: am I finally going to meet that boyfriend of yours?” he smiled, making Madzie blush a little.

“Yes, you are” she said. “Be nice! I really like him” she warned him.

“Well, he must be for you to threaten me this way” he chuckled. Madzie shook her head, amused by Magnus’ fake offended face.

“Just don’t scare him yet, okay?” she genuinely asked.

“If I see that he makes you happy, I’ll be nice to him” he truthfully answered. Madzie nodded, agreeing to this compromise and turned her head when she heard someone call out her name. A huge smile took place on her face and Magnus couldn’t help but smile at that. A young man, with light brown hair was walking towards them. He had blue eyes and a genuine smile on his face as well.

“Madzie, hey, I...” he stopped talking when he saw Magnus sitting in front of his girlfriend and all the color drained from his face. He stood straight and straighten his clothes. “Sir, hello.”

Magnus bit his lips, clearly amused by the young man’s attitude.

“You must be young Maxwell” he guessed.

Max blushed a little and nodded.

“Just Max is fine, sir” he told him. Magnus shrugged one shoulder.

“But Maxwell suits you better. What’s your major?”

“Law, sir” he answered with a small voice.

“What for?”

“In the long run, to become the district attorney, sir” he said with confidence. Magnus’ eyes widen a little, the only sign of how impressed he was by this answer.

“Ambitious. I like that” Magnus states. “Keep him, sweet pea” he then added, looking at Madzie, who smiled, widely. “Have a seat, Maxwell. I want to know all about you.”

***

When Magnus stepped onto Raphael’s floor, he was feeling the most confident than from the past two days. His lunch with Madzie and her boyfriend had been the energy booster he didn’t know he needed. He knew that every time he saw Madzie, he always felt better afterwards, but seeing her this happy with someone had much more effect on him than he expected. Max was a very polite, funny, thoughtful, driven and quick-witted young man. He always looked at Madzie like she was the eighth wonder, always making sure she was comfortable, he made her laugh like no one had managed before and Magnus could see how at peace she was in his company. The young girl had not had the easiest life. Both her parents had died in a terrible car crash, leaving her all alone, with no family and forced to live in an orphanage. The same one as Magnus. As he often gave donation to the institution, he also often visited the place to see the kids and bring them some gifts. When he met Madzie, he saw himself in her, not fully understanding why, but he needed to take care of her. He slowly built a relation with her, an almost father-daughter like and now, he was paying for her college tuition, believing she would accomplish great things in the future. On the other side, they tried to spend as much time as possible together. Now that Magnus wasn’t flying around the world all the time, they managed to see each other at least once a week. He had been quite surprised when she first mentioned a boyfriend, as she had never spoken of any one before. Not even a crush. But Magnus understood why she talked about Max because he could see how intense and serious their relationship was, no matter how short it had been.

Now, he was preparing himself to get attacked from every angle by Raphael, knowing perfectly well how stubborn his best friend could be. Raphael would not stop until Magnus agreed to hiring a bodyguard, which Magnus planned on accepting, but Raphael was not going down without a fight. Magnus could already picture him preparing his arguments, to make sure Magnus would have no choice but to agree. That made Magnus smile. This was going to be a fun talk. He knocked twice and entered the apartment, as usual. He stopped in his tracks as he walked into the living room and his eyebrows shot up.

Catarina and Ragnor were sitting on Raphael’s couch. Ragnor looked annoyed, Catarina looked worried and Raphael looked rather pleased with himself. Magnus had decided to wait before informing Catarina and Ragnor about the whole situation, thinking it was unnecessary to worry them. He had planned to contact them once he had found a new home, but he should have expected Raphael to go behind his back like that and tell them. He dropped his bag on the floor, next to the couch and crossed his arms. He already knew what they were all going to say, so he simply braced himself and sighed.

“Please, go ahead” he instructed them.

“Why didn’t you call us?” Catarina asked quietly.

“Because I’m not dead, Cat. I was just spooked a little, but I’m fine.”

“This man decided to attack you because he’s a fan of yours, correct?” Ragnor intervened.

“That’s what he said, yes” Magnus affirmed.

“So, you do realize this could happen again?” he added.

“I do.”

“Then how the bloody hell can you be so reckless?” he exclaimed standing up. “Raphael told us you refused to have a bodyguard. Do you have no sense self preservation?”

“Ragnor” Catarina tried.

“He invaded your home, Magnus” Ragnor continued nonetheless. “You could have been killed, tortured… Don’t you have any consideration for the people who care about you?” Magnus rolled his eyes, hating to be put on the spot this way and shrugged.

“I’ll do it” he muttered.

“Don’t you think we’ll suffer if something happens to you? We care about you, you stupid selfish idiot!” Ragnor added, not having heard what Magnus had said. However, Raphael’s eyes soften and he got closer to Magnus.

“Wait, what did you say? You’ll do it?” he finally intervened. Magnus shook his heard, slightly annoyed but glad to see Raphael feel better after his words. He might hate the idea, but he needed to make sure he was safe, and if it made the people he cared about feel better, he could endure it.

“Yes” he confirmed. “But I hope this detective’s brother is not as uptight as you are” he warned him, earning a chuckle from his friends. “Now, how about we start looking for a new place for me?” he suggested.

***

Detective Jace Herondale walked up the stairs, leading to the front door of the Lightwood brownstone. He opened the door, with his key, and entered the place. He walked through the foyer and saw his brother, sitting on the couch in the living room. He was glad to see that Alec was alone. The older one always tried to spend as little time as possible alone with either him or Isabelle, so being alone with Alec meant Jace could take the time to actually talk to his brother and not only share a polite talk. Jace knew Alec loved him deeply, just as much as he loved him, but Alec had trouble dealing with his deepest emotions, so he always tried to change the subject or move to something less serious. Maybe this time Jace could actually bond with his brother like he hadn’t had the opportunity since Alec had come back from the army. He passed the bar in the dining room and smiled at Alec, who seemed invested in the animal documentary he was watching.

“Am I interrupting something?” Jace asked, before he sat down next to the man.

“Nothing important” Alec assured, with a tight smile. He took the remote and muted the tv before looking up at his brother. He immediately noticed the file in his hands and frowned at that. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I just come visit my brother after a long day at work?” Jace teased. Alec sent him a small smile and shook his head.

“What’s up with the file?”

“A job offer for you” he answered as he handed him the file. Alec took it and flipped through the different pages, reading the information. Magnus Bane.

“He’s a model?”

“Used to be” Jace answered. “He’s mainly a designer now, but he still does runaways every now and then.”

Alec flipped another page and frowned.

“And someone managed to break into his home?”

“Yeah. We already caught the guy, he was a hardcore fan who wanted to see how his idol lived or whatever, so no worries on that side. However, his agent and best friend is still worried. The guy himself seems pretty fine and not that affected though…”

Alec shook his head.

“He’s in denial” he added as he threw the file onto the coffee table. “Anyone would be affected by something like this.”

Jace nodded.

“I agree. That’s why I insisted on him getting a bodyguard.”

“You can send them my credentials. If they still need me, they’ll call me” Alec agreed.

Jace smiles at him, happy that he agreed so fast. He wasn’t actually surprised, Alec lived to protect people. That’s why he knew he’d do a fantastic job with protecting Magnus. Besides, being close to someone drastically different than him could do him some good.

“Thank you for doing this, Alec” he answered and clapped his brother’s shoulder. Alec froze under his hand and slid to the side, to move away from the touch.

“No worries” he said in a small voice.

Jace understood he has overstepped and bit his lower lip. He wanted to spend some time with his brother, and try to get to the bottom of this situation so they could get out of there. Alec had almost been home for a year now, so it was time for them to actually talk and share this deep friendship they used to have.

“Do you know when mom’s coming home? I thought I could stay for diner” he said. Alec frowned, showing how shocked he was by this news.

“She has a big case going on right now, so I just planned on getting pizza for Max and I” Alec answered, hoping Jace would change his mind. He never overstayed. Especially when their mother wasn’t there, so there was still a chance for Alec to not have to endure this.

“Sweet! Brother’s night” Jace exclaimed happily. He would have loved to see their mother, but an evening with just his two brothers was just as great. Max always helped Alec relax, so if it was only the three of them, he had a chance to really spend quality time with them, without being worried to scare Alec off. Unfortunately, Alec didn’t seem share his excitement.

“Shouldn’t you go home and eat with Clary?” he asked, knowing bringing Clary up would work for sure.

Jace simply shrugged.

“Her and Jonathan are working late. She told me not to wait for her, so I thought I’d eat with you guys” he explained. “A brothers’ night is even better, but don’t tell mom” he smiled cheekily.

At that point, Alec knew he had no other choice. If even Clary wasn’t helping him, there was no other way for him to get rid of his brother. He just sighed and sent him a small smile.

“I’m sure Max will be thrilled.”

“Don’t sound too excited” Jace teased, knowing it would affect Alec one way or another.

“Sorry. I’m really happy you’re spending the evening with us” he said, hoping Jace would believe him, but it didn’t seem to work. Jace’s eyes showed his sadness. Jace knew Alec way too well for his liking, most of the time, he could read him better than anyone else, even better than their sister. That was why Alec always tried to distance himself from him the most, because he knew Jace would see right through his lies, and try to get him to talk. And at this moment, he was doing that face that Alec did not want to see.

“Alec…” he tried, but Alec stood up, cutting him off.

“I’m gonna call Max, see when he plans on getting back” he quickly said, before going to the kitchen to make the phone call.

Alec was being a coward, he knew it all too well, but he didn’t have any other choice. He couldn’t face his brother, without breaking down and tell all the things he was dying to say. He knew it worried his siblings. Well, Max didn’t pay much attention to it, knowing Alec would eventually talk things out, but Jace and Isabelle… Every time they had a chance, they would try to get him to talk and share his feelings. Alec didn’t want to talk about his feelings. He didn’t even want to face them. He had, actually. His time in the army had helped him understand all the things he was feeling and did not understand, but he did not want to talk it out with his way-too-invasive siblings. Especially when they wouldn’t talk about their own feelings. It might appear like Alec was living in this denial bubble, but he was not. He knew who he was, he knew what he wanted in life (even though he could never have it) but it was his right to keep things to himself. He was entitled to have secrets and to not be obliged to share his feelings with his siblings. He was a grown-up man and had the right to live his life the way he wanted to, and it didn’t matter if Jace and Isabelle agreed to it or not.

He took his phone out of his pocket and was about to call Max when he heard the front door open, but more precisely, his younger brother shout from the door.

“I’m hooooome” he sung. Alec got out of the kitchen and joined Max in the dining room. “My brother!” he exclaimed, showing his fist to Alec.

That was a little something he had started to do ever since Alec had quit the army and came back to live with them. Even if he didn’t talk about it, having his eldest brother endangering his life on a daily basis affected him. He never knew what to expect when they would receive a phone call from his base, or when they couldn’t talk to him for months. So now, having him everyday, knowing he was safe and home, reminded Max how much he loved him, how happy he was to have him home and he needed to show it him. So he had started this little thing, between them, which never failed to make Alec smile.

“My brother!” he answered, bumping his own fist against Max’s.

They both reached the living room, where Jace still seated and looking at them with a big smile.

“My other brother!” Max exclaimed.

”My annoying brother“ Jace decided to tease him. Max chuckled lightly and put his hand on his shoulder.

“You love me and you know it, Jace, just admit it” he said. Jace and Alec both rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, everybody loves you, now go get changed so we can order pizza and eat.” Alec told him. “Jace is eating with us, by the way.”

Max sent him a fake annoyed look and shook his head.

“Dear Alexander, you and your old people’s habits” he sighed. “You realize I can eat wearing these clothes, right?” he asked.

Alec rolled his eyes and ruffled Max’s hair. The youngest often liked to tease his brother by calling him with his full name. Alec usually hated when someone called him that, but, like everything else, Max was an exception.

“But wouldn’t you be more comfortable with sweatpants and a sweatshirt, Maxwell?” he replied, a huge grin on his face.

Max squinted his eyes and nodded.

“Check mate, brother. I’ll be right back” he gave up. He turned around to walk to his room. Alec and Jace both shook their heads, amused by their brother. Max had grown up to be an amazing person. Alec had been worried about him, after everything that had happened to their family, but Max didn’t let it get to him and made his family proud. Especially their mother who had the most doubts. Raising him on her own -minus the help of her other children- had been a challenge for her. A challenge she didn’t think she was up for, but she had made it. Her four children were amazing people, they were happy with their lives and she was so proud of them, it always made her heart clench whenever she thought about it.

“His sass never ceases to amaze me” Jace said.

Alec tilted his head to side, clear judgement in his eyes.

“Like you’re any better” he scoffed.

“Hey! I’ve gotten better” Jace defended himself.

“Yeah, thanks to Clary” Alec added.

“Yeah, well, we complete each other” the blond one shrugged.

Alec wanted to tease his brother a little bit more, but he could see how genuine and sincere Jace was in his words. He hadn’t had the chance to see Jace when he first started to date Clary, but whenever he talked to his mother on the phone, she’d tell him how more stable Jace had become. Alec eventually saw it too each time he came back to his family for a bit. Clary tempered him and understood him in a way nobody had ever before. That was why Alec had always been nice to Clary. Plus, the girl was so sweet, nobody could be mean to her. And because Alec knew how happy Jace was with Clary, he decided to be honest with him.

“That’s good, Jace, I’m happy for you” he simply said. He immediately saw Jace’s face soften at his words. Alec knew perfectly well that he had limited his role as the eldest sibling in the house, that he should have done more for them, that he should have been there for the most important moments in his siblings’ lives, so he was trying to make amends for it. He might not be doing it in the best way, but he was trying to be there as much as he could now, while protecting his heart in the process.

“Thank you, Alec” Jace answered, his voice deep with emotions. “It means the world coming from you.”

And Alec knew it was true. They were finally having that moment Jace had wanted to share with him. This moment of honesty, where all their barriers were put down and they could be honest with each other. Jace had so many things he wished he could say to his brother, but Max came back to the living-room, wearing a tiger onesie that left his brothers speechless.

“So, ready to order pizza? I’m choosing the movie by the way” he told them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Malec will meet in the next chapter, don't worry ;)


	2. Two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Maryse.  
> Malec meet.  
> Family drama is about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there,  
> Firstly, I'd like to apologize, I did not have time to read your comments or answer them, so I'll try to do it by next week. But thank you for all the kudos, I hope you'll enjoy the rest of this fic.  
> Also, I'm going on a vacation next week so no chapter, but I'll try my best to post it as soon as I can.  
> Enjoy this chapter! <3
> 
> P.S.: Happy birthday to our beloved Alec Lightwood !! <3

“We’ll meet your new bodyguard tomorrow” Raphael told Magnus. The fashion designer turned on his heels to look at his friend, his eyebrows up.

“Great” he answered, with a hint of irony. “It gives me plenty of time to move some of my stuff here” he added, looking around the living room.

The two friends had wandered around the city, all day, looking for the perfect and safest place for Magnus and they might had found the one.

“This one seems perfect” Magnus said.

“I don’t know… It feels like something is missing” Raphael replied.

Magus dramatically rolled his eyes, annoyed by Raphael’s words.

“You said that about all of the previous ones. I’m starting to consider not letting you have your say in this.”

They had looked at almost ten places, all great and safe, but Raphael always found something wrong with each of them. The crazy amount of windows, the ridiculously large balcony, the lack of doorman… Each excuse even more annoying than the previous one. Magnus had a good feeling about this one. The doorman seemed nice and trustworthy, there were cameras in the elevator, Magnus would be occupying one of the two condos on the last floor: the couple next door was adorable, by the way. Moreover, he felt at peace in it. He could already feel the inspiration rush through him and couldn’t wait to start drawing his new collection. Raphael, however, seemed offended by his words.

“I’m sorry for wanting to keep you safe” he said.

“Expect you’re being ridiculous right now, Raph” Magnus sighed. “This place is great, the people seem nice and it’s in my range of price. Plus, look at that view” he added, pointing at all the windows. Two walls of the living room were made only of windows which provided a beautiful view of Central Park. Plus, the balcony was not that large, so Raphael couldn’t complain about that. Magnus needed to feel free, even if he had to be more careful than usual because of the obvious threat hovering him. This place seemed perfect for a fresh start.

“Do you really feel comfortable here?” Raphael asked in a small voice.

Magnus turned to him, a soft smile on his face.

“I really do” he assured. Raphael sighed deeply and nodded, sign of his agreement. He knew he could keep criticizing every bit of every apartment they would visit, but in the end, the most important was how Magnus felt. So, if he felt connected to this condo, then he would get it.

“Let’s go sign some paperwork, then” Raphael smiled, earning small jumps of happiness from Magnus.

***

The next day, Alec entered the dining room and smiled as he saw his mother drinking her usual coffee. Maryse was one of the most respected judges in the State. After her husband had left her for another life, everyone thought she’d collapse, fail her children and lose everything that made her Maryse Lightwood. However, Alec had decided to not let that happen. He saw how deeply affected his mother had been by Robert’s departure. She tried to hide it, to protect her children by not showing how lost, confused and worried she was by the situation. But Alec saw it all. He knew his mother all too well. She was a good woman, with such a big heart, he knew she felt things, deeply, and her job had helped her hide most of these feelings so she could work and be objective, but she didn’t have to use this at home too. She had the right to be sad, to cry because she was heartbroken, her children would be there for her. That was why Alec made sure he helped her as much as he could. He helped her take care of Isabelle, Jace and Max. He made sure she could go to work without worrying too much about her kids.

Alec had, in a way, taken the position of “the man of the house.” Being the eldest, it felt natural for him, but that was not the entire reason behind it. Guilt had been the main one. He had to try and make amends with his family, one way or another, and that felt like the best way to do it. After a while, when he saw that his mother had gotten her life back on track and that his siblings didn’t need him as much anymore, he had decided to focus on his classes and then he just left for the army, without any warning. His entire family had been shocked, Isabelle had been the one who took it the hardest. She had stayed in her room for days, before letting anyone see her. Alec thought she would try to make him change his mind, but no. She seemed resigned and, as much as Alec hated seeing her like this, he was glad she had decided to let him chose what he thought best for him.

Now that he was back, each of his siblings had chosen the right path for them and he was glad. They were all happy with their lives, his mother included and that was a victory for him.

“Good morning, Ma” he whispered before he kissed the top of her head.

She sent him a warm smile and looked at him, as he walked around the table to serve himself a cup of coffee.

“Good morning, _hijo._ Did you sleep well?” she asked.

“Yeah, it was okay. You?” he asked back, before taking a gulp from his cup.

“Definitely not enough, but, one of my big cases is finally coming to an end, so after today, I’ll be able to relax a bit more” she told him.

“I’m glad, you’ve been pretty tense lately, you’ll need the rest” he replied, sitting down. Maryse sent him another smile, watching him closely, then leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table, and Alec knew a serious talk was about to happen. “So, you’re taking on a new client, correct?”

Alec frowned, wondering how she got that information -probably from Jace-, but also why she was using that _specific_ tone.

“I am, yes. Jace came directly to me with the file. I haven’t had a real job in weeks, at least with this one, I’ll be busy for months, probably. It’ll be good for me” he explained.

“I never understood why you wouldn’t join your brother in law enforcement” Maryse said. “It is closer to your previous line of work.”

“Maybe that’s exactly the reason why I chose something else.”

“But you might be safer” Maryse continued.

“Ma, I’d risk just as much if I were cop, than by being a personal bodyguard” Alec sighed, tired of having this conversation again. “Also, I know I couldn’t work with cops. At least, with this job, I only have to protect someone, make sure they’re safe and eliminate the potential threat. I like this job, so please, stop trying to make me quit.”

“It’s just that… If you are hired, you won’t be home anymore. I’ll miss you” she sincerely expressed.

Alec sent her a soft smile, still touched by the kindness of her heart. He loved having his mother around, being able to receive motherly love whenever he needed it, or just, enjoy her presence on a daily basis. True, he wouldn’t be able to see her, as long as Magnus would need him to work for him, but it would allow him to get out of this house.

“Max will be here” he reassured her. “Also, I’m the oldest, Ma, I should have been the first to leave” he joked.

“Who cares about ‘traditions’” she countered, shaking her head. “You should do what makes you more comfortable. So if you want to spend another ten years here, I won’t mind.”

Alec bit his lower lip, as he clenched and unclenched his hands. She was not saying it explicitly, but she was implying what Alec had understood years ago. He knew he wouldn’t be able to live his life as he truly wanted to. He also knew his mother might never be ready to start a life with a new man, so they could at least both stay together. Then, maybe, in a few years, Alec would go for a new job and stay with his mother. Just like he thought he should.

“I’m gonna go and get ready” he finally said, standing up. “I’ll see you tonight. Have a nice day.”

He walked around the table to give her a kiss on the cheek and walked to his room, in desperate need of a shower to release all of the tension he was feeling.

***

Alec nodded at the doorman and entered the building. Jace had given his info to Raphael Santiago, Magnus’ manager, and the man had called him the day before to schedule a meeting, saying he’d get back to him to send him the address of Magnus’ new place. That could have been seriously dangerous, considering Raphael didn’t know anything about Alec, and he pointed it out to the man who answered with “ _Your brother vouched for you. If you happen to be a psychopath, I’ll be more than thrilled to sue the NYPD._ ” That got Alec to shut up and made him like the guy, even if he hadn’t met him yet. The place was situated not very far from his mother’s place. That would help his mother to not be too worried, as Alec would be quite close to her, and it also could help as a backup plan. If something were to go wrong at Magnus' new place, then they could go and spend a night at Maryse’, while coming up with a new solution. He quickly spotted the concierge, who didn’t seem to be paying attention to what was going on around him, and looked around the lobby. There was only one elevator at the right, a space with couches on the left and a door leading to the staircase at the far left. He also spotted four different cameras, covering the entire floor. That was good.

“I’m here to see Magnus Bane” he announced when he reached the front desk.

“One second” the man answered, as he picked up his phone to call the said tenant. Alec arched one brow: he hadn’t asked for his name. “A man is here to see you” he said. “Tall, dark hair, green eyes” he listed as he looked closely at Alec.

The young man rolled his eyes and sighed.

“My name is Alec Lightwood.”

“He says his name is Alec Lightwood” he repeated on the phone. “Yes. Alright” he concluded before hanging up. “9th floor, apartment A” he instructed him.

Alec sent him a tight smile and walked to the elevator. That was definitely something Alec needed to mention after meeting his new client. What kind of doorman -person even- doesn’t ask for someone else’s name first? That’s basic knowledge, for God’s sake. Alec entered the cabin and tried to relax as much as he could. He was already in work mode, but he didn’t even know if he had the job. Well, they wouldn’t have called him if they didn’t at least consider him, but he needed to prepare himself to an eventual downfall. His client might dislike him, he might not want to work with him specifically, or even his manager might change his mind and go with a security detail agency to make sure his friend would be completely safe. Alec might have decided to not enrol in an agency, but that didn’t make him less competent. His training had been more thorough and he might even provide a better service, as his payment would solely depend on his client’s safety. He did not have a secure monthly salary like them.

But that didn’t really matter at the moment. For now, he needed to make a good first impression on his client and make sure they’d be willing to hire him. He stepped out of the elevator and walked to the apartment 9A, like the concierge had instructed him. This was it. He rang the bell and waited a few seconds, before the door opened on a … shorter man than him. That was not difficult actually, most men were shorter than him since Alec was tall as a tree. But the stern face he was showing made Alec understand that this man was not there to mess around.

“Alexander Lightwood?” he asked, with a slight Spanish accent that Alec manage to decipher.

“That’s me, sir” he confirmed, extending his hand so he could shake.

“Raphael Santiago. Come on in, please” he instructed after shaking his hand.

Alec followed him through the foyer then walked into the dining room, which shared an open space with the living room, further into the room, and an open kitchen as well on the right. The wall behind the couch was made out of glass-window, and Alec could see the balcony on the couch’s left. The place was not fully decorated, not heavily furnished, which was understandable since they had probably started moving things in only yesterday.

“It is really nice to meet you Alexander” Raphael started again, causing Alec to turn around and stop his inspection of the room.

“Alec, please, Mr. Santiago” he smiled, in a humble way.

“Call me Raphael then” the man told him.

“I’ll try, sir” he promised, knowing it would be difficult to get rid of his automatisms, but that seem to amuse Raphael.

“Your brother did mention your time at the army made you uptight” he added. Alec pulled a face and tried hard not to roll his eyes.

_“Idiota”_ he couldn’t help but muttered, making Raphael chuckle. “Do not listen to him, he likes to tease me any way he can.”

_“Entendido”_ Raphael replied, happy to be able to speak in his mother tongue with Alec. “You’ll find out that Magnus can be quite annoying himself when he puts his mind to it. Try not to let it get to you” he advised him.

“I haven’t even met him and you’re already bad mouthing me, Raphael?” said a velvet-like voice coming from behind Raphael. Alec’s eyes moved from Raphael to Magnus and…

“Fuck” Alec whispered. The man was _beautiful._ Alec had seen picture of him in the file Jace had given him but the real thing was even better. Almost ethereal-like. He had to admit, Alec had expected someone much more “shiny”, since Magnus was an ex-model turned fashion designer, but he was rather sober in his attire. He wore black skinny jeans, a white blouse tucked in his jeans, his hair was spiked up and his eyes were surrounded with a thin line of liner. If he looked that gorgeous with a simple look, Alec couldn’t even imagine how good he would look if he chose a more “visible” look.

Since his coming out, Alec had never really been shy about his sexual preferences. He never had a real boyfriend, not finding time to date and not really wanting to settle down, but he had one-night stands every now and then, mostly whenever he needed to get it out of his system. Of course, Magnus was his future client, someone he’d have to work for but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the view. And right now, Alec had many, many scenarios involving him, Magnus and a bed. Or a couch. Or a table, even. At this point, the floor would be a total valid option.

Whatever things Alec was imagining doing to Magnus, it seemed the other was imagining wild things himself, as he was eyeing Alec as if he were candy he couldn’t wait to get his mouth on. Which was not entirely far from the truth.

“Fuck indeed” Magnus agreed, looking at him from head to toe, repeatedly. “You’re much more beautiful than what that picture in your resume let on, Alexander.”

“Alec’s fine” the man simply replied, which made Magnus pout.

“But Alexander suits you better so I’ll stick to it” he insisted.

“Okay” Alec directly accepted.

Raphael had been paying attention to this exchange and could not believe his own eyes. He knew Magnus very well, the man couldn’t resist a pretty thing. And yes, objectively speaking, Alec was beautiful but the situation was way too serious for either of them to not be focused.

_“Increíble”_ he muttered. He cleared his throat, gaining both of the men’s attentions and sent them a tight smile. “So Alec, this is Magnus Bane, the child you’ll have to keep safe.”

Magnus glared at Raphael, before sending a bright smile at Alec.

“I’m not a child in many ways, though” he assured.

Alec felt the blush immediately rush all over his face, while Raphael closed his eyes and slightly shook his head at Magnus but Magnus didn’t feel sorry for one second. Seeing this tall, beautiful and sexy man blush this way did wonders to Magnus. However, Alec knew he was not acting professionally at the moment and he needed to get his shit together. He stood up straighter and put his hands behind his back.

“Alec Lightwood, sir. I will be in charge of keeping you safe from now on” he started again, hoping it would be enough for Magnus to understand they needed to be serious.

But he clearly failed.

“You should keep the ‘sir’ for when we’re alone, Alexander” Magnus whispered as he leaned towards Alec. Magnus smiled proudly when Alec closed his eyes, but Raphael was clearly not having it as he sighed deeply.

“Leave the poor boy alone, Magnus” he intervened. “He’s here to keep you safe. To make sure no one breaks into your home again and to accompany you when you have events. He’s not here to entertain you” he stated, sincerely hoping Magnus would stop his act.

“You need to be less uptight, _hermano._ I’d suggest doing something that would make you blow off some steam. I’m sure it would help you a lot” he replied.

“Nothing could help me be less annoyed by you” Raphael answered back.

“Such harsh words” Magnus muttered, shaking his head.

“Alec, after what happened at Magnus’ old place, we decided it was safer for him to move out. It seems this one is the one he wants to keep. So, could you please wander around the building and see if it safe? Then, please, chose one of the two available bedrooms, for you to settle in” he instructed him.

“Or, you could chose the one already occupied by me, I’m sure you’d be much more satisfied by it” Magnus suggested. Raphael loudly groaned this time, as Alec tried to keep a straight face at the comment.

“Go get ready so we can talk about the details of his new job then go on with our schedules” Raphael told Magnus. The man nodded and winked at Alec before turning around to go to his bedroom. “My apologies for his behavior” Raphael sighed. “He’s a natural flirt but it has increased after the break-in. Again, don’t let it get to you.”

Alec smiled and shook his head.

“Self-preservation mechanism, that’s understandable. I’ll be fine, don’t worry” he reassured him.

“I’m sure you must have dealt with much more atypical people, if I may say” Raphael added.

“You could say that” Alec chuckled.

“Concerning Magnus, he mostly works from home. Weeks can pass by before he goes to the studio. However, once he’s completed a new line, he spends days at the studio, doesn’t really take care of himself, so I’ll need you to make sure he doesn’t starve himself to death. I’ll often be at the studio myself, but I also need to run errands, so I need you to always be around him. At all times. I know he doesn’t think this incident could repeat itself, but I’d rather be wrong and have him safe, than be right and have him get hurt again, understand?”

“Yes, sir” Alec nodded. “I’ll protect him with my life and make sure nothing bad happens to him.”

Raphael nodded, pleased to hear these words and walked to the dining table from which he picked up a file. He then handed it to Alec.

“This file contains information about everyone close to Magnus, the people you absolutely need to know about before starting this job” Raphael began again. “Magnus has a lot of work acquaintances, but they’re irrelevant unless Magnus mentions them. So everyone important is in this file.”

“I’ll make sure to read it thoroughly by tomorrow” Alec assured, which made Raphael smile.

“Perfect” he concluded as he clasped his hands. “I have some business to attend to, but please contact me if you need anything. I don’t know what Magnus will make you do, but please, bear with him. Also, text me before you leave so I’ll know when to come back.”

“You live here?” Alec couldn’t help but ask.

“God no, I love Magnus but we’re much more efficient when we’re not at each other’s throats. Living together wouldn’t help” he joked. “I just don’t want to leave him alone. You’re going to be living here starting tomorrow, so I want to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid on his last night of ‘freedom’” he explained.

“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow then” he said before shaking hands with Raphael once again.

“See you tomorrow” Raphael replied. “Magnus!” he shouted to make himself heard all the way to the master bedroom. “I’m leaving, I’ll come back tonight, so please do not annoy Alec to death until then”

“I make no promises” Magnus answered back, shouting as well. Raphael rolled his eyes, while Alec shook his head amused.

“See you tomorrow Alec” Raphael concluded before leaving for good.

Alec watched him leave before taking another look at the room around him. Only the essential pieces of furniture were present. An old couch, a dining table with four chairs, the kitchen was still spotless and there were no personal belongings anywhere. And if Alec had managed to correctly understand Magnus, there was no way he’d let this condo in its current state.

“Alright, let’s go buy some furniture” Magnus’ melodic voice surprised Alec. The man was used to being alert at all times, so he didn’t startle, but Magnus’ voice managed to do things to him that he didn’t want to think about at this moment.

He turned around to look at the man and his brows shot up when he saw him wearing deep brown boots and a black leather jacket to complete his style. And _damn,_ was he even more beautiful.

_Focus, Alec._

“Furniture?” he asked.

“Yes, this place is a bit drab, I need to make it more me, if you know what I mean” Magnus simply explained.

“I do, actually” Alec nodded.

“Then let’s get to it, shall we? I’ll even let you chose something” he offered, with a sly smile. “After all, you are going to be living with me for an undetermined amount of time. I may as well make you comfortable.”

“That’s very nice of you, thank you” Alec replied.

“You’re very welcome, Alexander” Magnus answered, playing with his left ear. “Now, let’s go, pretty boy.”

***

The two men were walking around Manhattan, and Magnus seemed to be enjoying the warm weather. He had his sunglasses on, was looking straight ahead of him and had a content face, if Alec might describe it this way. The man had insisted on the fact that there was no need for them to take a cab, or the subway. He wanted to enjoy walking freely, and not be scared of someone trying to jump him in the street. Of course, that meant Alec had to be more vigilant but he was no one to stop Magnus from being his usual self. That was why Alec was there: to make sure Magnus could go on with his usual life, while being a little more cautious, but be reassured because someone was there to watch his back. Alec might be a little reserved, but he knew his job was based on trust, from both sides, so he had to make sure Magnus knew he could count on him at all times and things should go smoothly.

“So, Alexander, tell me something about yourself” Magnus told him. “Something that’s not in your resume.”

“I have three siblings” he stated.

“Oh, right, Detective Blondie is one of them” Magnus joked. Alec snickered at that.

“Jace is my adopted-brother, yes” he confirmed.

“He did mention he was adopted, yes. Does the subject ever come up?” Magnus dared to ask.

“Sometimes, when he doesn’t to be linked to the ‘Lightwood’s weirdness’, as he would call it” Alec chuckled.

“’Lightwood’s weirdness’?” Magnus wondered.

“Let’s just say the youngest, Max, is one of a kind” Alec said fondly.

“You seem to care deeply about them” Magnus noticed. Alec simply shrugged.

“I’m the oldest, I was meant to protect them” he replied.

“Doesn't mean you shouldn’t protect yourself as well” Magnus countered.

Alec turned his head towards him, to try and see what he truly meant, but his sunglasses prevented him from seeing his eyes. There was something behind his tone, like Magnus had been through a similar situation and was telling Alec to protect himself before getting hurt too much, but he couldn’t dive into this type of conversation right now, so he changed the subject to the main reason they were both there at that moment.

“So, that attack, was it the first time someone attacked you?” Alec asked.

Alec noticed how Magnus straightened himself, and how his smile had quickly vanished from his face.

“Yes” he answered tightly.

“Really? You were a successful model, and a fan decided to attack you when you’re sort of retired? Instead of trying when you were going out more?” Alec continued. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It does, actually” Magnus countered. “At least now they know I’m home more, not heavily guarded, so attacking me there was the smartest move.”

Alec gave him a pointed look, to which Magnus simply shrugged and Alec shook his head.

“But also the dumbest” he insisted. “There were security cameras, people wandering around the building... Anyone could have given a description to the police. However, if you were attacked at a party, full of people in a dark corner, no one would have noticed.”

Magnus came to a stop and Alec pulled him to the side, so they stood in front of a bakery and didn’t bother the people walking around them. Magnus took off his sunglasses and looked at Alec, dead in the eye, and Alec had to take a step back because those eyes were intense. _Way_ too intense for him to not blush, but Magnus didn’t seem to notice.

“You might into something here, Alexander. You think someone is targeting me?” he asked, sounding more worried this time.

Alec smiled softly and shook his head.

“I can’t tell you for sure. You were attacked by one crazy fan. We’ll have to wait for another attack, to see if someone is really targeting you” he explained.

“I have to be attacked again?!” Magnus exclaimed, earning the odd looks of some by-passers.

Alec quickly looked around and put both his hands on Magnus’ shoulders: to make him relax, but also for him to feel grounded in the moment. He knew how fear could easily spread. If Magnus honestly started to believe someone was targeting him, it might make it even more difficult for Alec to protect him correctly. If someone was truly trying to hurt Magnus, they had to make sure Magnus kept doing things the exact same way he would have before the attack. Alec must not look like an obstacle for whatever plan someone might have. They needed to attack, so Alec would catch them and exterminate this threat for good. However, Alec might be completely wrong and his sole purpose here was to reassure Magnus, and help him get enough confidence back so he wouldn’t need a bodyguard in the future.

“I might be wrong, Magnus, okay? But, if someone tries anything against you, I’ll make sure to catch them before they can hurt you, okay?” he said very calmly.

Magnus bit his bottom lip but nodded nonetheless, feeling slightly reassured by his words.

“My life is between your hands, then” he chuckled.

“No pressure” Alec laughed. “Let’s get going. I’m actually curious to see what type of furniture you like” he smiled and that seemed to work efficiently, since Magnus smiled back, put his sunglasses back on and grabbed his arm to lead him to his favorite furniture store in New-York.

***

It was almost 9:30 pm when Alec went back home, to gather his things and get ready to move out in the morning. His mother would probably be there, Max would definitely be there studying or playing video games in the living room. Either way, Alec was going to enjoy this last night at his house. He had spent an interesting day with Magnus. He had taken him to Kathy Kuo Home, which apparently was his favorite furniture store. They had spent hours wandering around, testing beds -because yes, Magnus was very adamant on the fact that Alec needed to find the perfect bed for him-, testing couches -of all sizes-, choosing a new dining table because Magnus “was not satisfied with the current one”, and so on… Eventually, all the stuff was going to be transported to Magnus’ place by ten the next day, so Alec had to be there beforehand.

He quickly spotted his younger brother in the living room, who was not alone. Their two other siblings were also there, while their mother seemed to be on the phone in the kitchen. Max was the first to notice Alec in the dining room and waved at him. Alec smiled back, as Isabelle and Jace turned their heads towards them. He sent them a smaller smile and joined them.

“What are you guys doing here this late?” he asked, without preamble.

“Mom called us, apparently she has some big new to share with us” Jace explained.

Alec nodded and bit the inside of his cheek, before sitting down next to Max on the armrest of his armchair.

“How’s Valentina?” Alec said to Izzy.

The young woman seemed surprised to see her brother genuinely curious, but she sent him a smile nonetheless.

“She’s doing great. I put her to bed before coming here” she answered.

“Good, that’s good” Alec muttered. “So, do you have any idea what Ma needs to tell us?”

“Alec!” their mother exclaimed as she joined them in the living room. “You’re here, good. I wanted to gather you all because I need to tell you something” she told him.

“What is it? Do you have a new boyfriend you want to tell us about?” Max couldn’t help but tease her. His older siblings all chuckled at that while their mother rolled her eyes, amused.

“I actually do, but that’s a story for another time” she clapped back. Max’s jaw dropped, shocked to hear this news as the rest of her children seemed amused as well as confused.

“What? Mom, come on you have to tell us” Isabelle insisted. There was no way her mother would get out of this conversation without telling them all about her new boyfriend. Her first boyfriend since their father.

“You’re seeing someone, Ma?” Alec asked standing up. His instinct protectiveness kicked in and, even if his mother found it adorable, this conversation was not taking the turn she was expecting.

“Can you please sit down, so I can talk?” she asked of him. Alec titled his head to the side, sending her a look to warn her that this conversation was not over, and sat back next to Max.

“Okay, tell us, Mom, what is it?” Jace asked, genuinely curious.

Maryse took in a deep breath and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Your father has reached out to me. He’d like to see you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun, dun, dun. I can sense family drama coming their way haha  
> I hope you enjoyed that. I'll see you guys in two weeks (or even beforehand, who knows)  
> Thank you for reading! <3


	3. Three.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family talks.  
> Alec and Magnus get closer.  
> They get even closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> It's been a month, and I am so, so sorry for the wait. Life got in the way, one scene was very difficult to write and I had to respect the layout I have so I needed to give you this chapter with all the originally planned scenes. I did not plan for it to be 6k long but there you go haha
> 
> I truly hope you'll like this chapter, it sets up many things for the rest of the story. Thank you for all your nice comments, they mean the world to me. 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter and please, feel free to leave a comment!

The four siblings had immediately stopped smiling and were looking at their mother, as if she had grown a third eye. Their father, Robert, wanted to see them again. After more than ten years without giving them any sign of life. Alec clenched his fists, only imagining how devastated his mother must have felt when she had first heard from him. That man had almost destroyed her and now he was just waltzing back in her life like nothing had happened?

Maryse was studying the face of each of her children, and she understood they were not pleased with that news. She knew her children well enough to know they might explode and get angry, but she couldn’t exactly say who was going to.

“You’re joking, right?” Jace was the first to ask. Only Max turned his head to look at him, while Isabelle was looking at her hands and Alec couldn’t take his eyes off of his mother’s face.

“He plans on spending a week here and he wants to see you. All four of you” she explained.

“How nice of him to pay attention to us after so many years” Max snickered. He might not have many memories of his father, but he remembered perfectly well how affected his family had been after his departure. And that was why he wasn’t exactly thrilled to see his birth father.  
“Max, please” Maryse said quietly.

Isabelle shook her head and looked up.

“Why does he want to see us? Why now?” she asked her mother.

“He didn’t say, _mi amor_.”

“Count me out” Alec stated as he stood up. His siblings and his mother turned their heads towards him and Maryse sighed deeply. She knew her eldest was the one who had been the most affected by her husband’s departure, so she was expecting him to have the harshest reaction to this news. However, she also knew her son needed to heal. No matter how much she wanted to protect her son and keep him safe, the first step to his happiness would be to face his biggest fear and regret in life, and that was his father.

“Alec, please, just try?” she suggested, taking a step towards him. He lifted a hand, stopping her from getting closer and shook his head.

“If you guys want to meet with him, talk to him, or whatever, fine. But I won’t be part of it” he refused.

“ _Hijo_ …” she insisted.

“No. I’m going to bed, I have a busy day tomorrow.”

He didn’t wait for an answer and left the living room to join his bedroom. He sat on his bed and exhaled deeply as he let all of his emotions rush through him. The day his father had decided to delete them from his life, Alec had sworn to himself that he would never forgive the man. He couldn’t forgive him for everything he had put him through. His father had completely destroyed the man that Alec was and the one he wanted to become. Alec had always been reserved and quiet, but as he grew up, he started to grow more and more confident so by the age of fifteen, he had fully accepter himself and didn’t want to hide who he truly was, nor what he wanted. So, he came out to his parents. They were both surprised, but his mother had immediately made sure her son knew she would never see him any different or treat him differently. He was her son and nothing would change that, as long as he was happy and healthy. Robert had agreed to what Maryse had told him, not really giving it more attention so Alec took it as a victory. Plus, his siblings were happy to see him happy and everything was great for a time.

A few months after however, that was when all hell broke loose. Alec came home earlier than planned and witnessed a huge fight between between his parents. They were both yelling, throwing whatever mistake one had made to the other but that was not the part that hurt Alec. The part that hurt him was when Robert mentioned not being able to live with “this kind of son.” That it was throwing everything he had planned away and he did not know how to handle this, that he was confused and that was why he cheated on Maryse and decided to leave her. At first, he was only planning on moving to a new house and see his children from time to time, but when he saw a fifteen-year-old Alec standing there, he decided it was best to simply erase himself from their lives.

That was why he was sitting there, feeling miserable at that moment. He was the reason his family had been torn apart. He was the reason Max, Jace and Isabelle _-especially_ Isabelle- hadn’t been able to grow up with their father by their side. Alec had tried to fulfil this position, but he also had been too much of a coward to keep it up and he had left for the army, simply hoping his family would manage without him. And they had. They were all happy, so he was… content. He might not be living the life his teenage-self thought he would be living, but seeing his family this happy was enough for him. As for him, he still took care of his needs, but he never tried to fulfil this need for love that he had been feeling for years now.

He eventually got up to start pack his things, needing to keep his mind off of things, especially the discussion that was happening in the living room at the same time. He truly had no idea of what his siblings would choose to do, but either way, he wouldn’t interfere. It was their choice. He had been the one to drive Robert away in the first place, so who was he to prevent them from seeing him again.

He heard someone knock on the door and sighed, already picturing his mother trying to convince him to give his father a chance, and he was not in the mood for one of those talks at the moment. But, he couldn’t push his mother away like this, so he breathed in and prepared himself for the inevitable.

“Come in” he said. The door opened and he froze when he saw the face of his sister. She sent him a weak smile and bit her bottom lip.

“Can we talk?” she asked quietly. He gestured for her to enter the room and close the door. She did that and stood before him after he sat on the bed again.

“What is it?”

Isabelle ran a hand through her hair and simply shrugged.

“I just wanted to know how you were doing. Jace told me you had a new job” she stated. So she was here to make small talk. Great. Just the type of things Alec needed at the moment.

“Yeah” he answered, hoping it would help shorten this conversation.

“Who is it?” she wondered. “If you can say, of course.”

“An ex-model turned designer. Though he still models sometimes” he said vaguely.

“Do I know him?”

“I don’t know, does the name Magnus Bane ring any bell?” he replied.

Isabelle’s eyes went wide and Alec wondered if she was having a stroke or something, because she didn’t move for ten seconds straight before vividly shaking her head.

“Magnus Bane? _The_ Magnus Bane?!” she exclaimed. “That man is a freaking genius. His collections are always so perfect. Simon knows he can never go wrong with a product from him. I can’t believe you get to work for him. You’re so lucky” she smiled, clapping her hands as she felt excited for her brother.

“He might get attacked again so I don’t know about luck” Alec couldn’t help but reply.

Isabelle pouted at that.

“Right, that was not the best choice of words. He’s still lucky to have you, I know you’ll take good care of him” she added, smiling.

“That’s my job” Alec stated.

“It’s more than a job to you” Isabelle countered as she shook her head. “You truly care about keeping people safe, unharmed and happy. That’s what you always did with me.”

Alec couldn’t keep his sigh in. That was why he didn’t want to have serious talk with his siblings, because they were always trying to get him to share his feelings but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to tell them how guilty he felt about... everything. He was the reason their father wasn’t with them anymore. He was the reason his mother had been devastated for months. He was the reason why they were all still affected by Robert’s departure today. Isabelle was the one who had had it the hardest. So how could he face her and talk to her like nothing happened when he knew he was the reason she was still holding back?

“What are you getting at, Izzy?” he asked nonetheless.

“I know you think you’re protecting me from God knows what by keeping away from me but...” she started.

“Do not finish that sentence” he cut her off. “You don’t know anything about what I’m feeling.”

Isabelle glared at him and arched an eyebrow.

“I know you think you have to carry the weight of the entire world on your shoulders but you don’t” she countered. “You need to know that I am fully happy in my life, no matter what happened” she stated, to make sure Alec would understand she was not mad at him. That she could never be mad at him.

Unfortunately, Alec didn’t seem to get it. Her words seemed to have trigger something because he let out a dark, cold chuckle, as he stood up, and sent a deeply annoyed look at his sister.

“Really? Then why aren’t you married yet? You and Simon have been together for a long time, you have a daughter, so why not?” he snapped.

Isabelle held her head a little higher, to try and show her brother she was not impressed by his tone and shrugged one shoulder.

“I just think we don’t need to. We’re perfectly happy the way we are” she simply explained.

“Is that so?” Alec asked as he crossed his arms on his chest. “Because I perfectly remember you telling me that you wanted the full-package deal once you were old enough: a great man to build your life with, get married, have an amazing house, have children together and live happily ever after” he told her. “You got the perfect man, the perfect house and the most perfect daughter, so why not get married Izzy?” he insisted. He could see the tears gather in his sister’s eyes but he couldn’t help it. He knew she was in deep denial about what consequences their father’s choice had had on her and she needed to realize it too.

But, clearly, Isabelle was not ready to have this conversation with him.

"Don’t” she begged him.

“Why? Your idea of a perfect marriage was destroyed when Robert cheated on Mom? Is that it?” he said. “Just admit it, Isabelle. You’re still affected, just the way I am, because God knows how much I hate myself for it, but at least, I have the guts to admit it” he spat.

Isabelle took a deep breath in, hating to see how her brother always managed to get under her skin, and held back her tears. She knew Alec was trying to help her, in a twisted kind of way, but it hurt too much to admit it out loud and she was not ready to do it. She hated that her brother was trying to force her into admitting what she had tried to overcome. She had hoped trying to talk to him would help their situation but she was clearly wrong, so she swallowed back her tears and sighed.

“I’ll leave you alone. Good luck with your job” she concluded before turning around to leave the room. Alec felt all of the guilt rush down and tried to stop her.

“Isabelle...” he said. But it was too late. She had already left the room and Alec knew he had crossed the line this time.

*******

The next day, Alec felt like crap. He had trouble sleeping, having nightmares about his siblings abandoning him. His mother getting hurt again and not be able to overcome it this time. About his father coming back into their lives and messing them up as only he knew how. Robert wanting to come back into their lives was something he was not ready for. Something he never thought he’d be ready for, honestly. Robert had messed up their lives so much, had damaged them, each in their own permanent way... They might have overcame that the first time, some better than others, but Alec wasn’t sure if it would work the second time around. He walked into the dining room and went to drop his back in the foyer, before going into the kitchen where his youngest brother was preparing his breakfast. Max looked up and sent him a smile.

“Good morning, big brother” he told him.

“Good morning, Max” he said back as he ruffled his hair. Max rolled his eyes and fixed his hair afterwards.

“So, what did you tell Izzy for her to walk out like that last night?” he asked bluntly, as he turned around to lean back on the kitchen counter, bowl full of cereals in his hands. One thing he liked about his brother: he did not beat around the bush when it was important.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Izzy was pretty shaken up when Mom explained that Robert wanted to see us because he wanted to be somehow part of our lives. So she said she needed to talk to you before making any decisions and just when Jace and I agreed to meet with him, Izzy storms out of your room and leaves without saying a word” Max explained. “So, what happened?”

Alec hadn’t heard the last part of his explanation, as his brain had frozen when he had heard the words “Jace and I agreed.”

“Wait, what do you mean, you and Jace agreed to meet with him?” Alec asked.

“I literally mean Jace and I agreed to meet him” Max said in a sarcastic tone, but Alec didn’t pay much attention to it.

“Why would you do that?” he asked instead.

“I barely have any memories of him” Max shrugged. “He left us, we were all pretty shaken by it, you were the most, and I want to know why he left. Not that I care that much about his explanation, at least it might help us have some closure.”

Alec had to close his eyes to process what his brother was telling him. He knew his siblings might cave in and want to see Robert again. Who could blame them? They wanted to see their father, understand what had happened and be able to move on, but what if they couldn’t move on? What if it left a bigger scar and made them unable to heal. Alec didn’t want to let that happen, but he couldn’t stop his brothers. He might have been the one who had helped them grow into the men they were today, but that was just it. They were their own men and there was only one thing he could them to make them stop but he couldn’t tell them.

“Are you sure you’re truly up for this?” he asked nonetheless.

Max walked towards him and put his hand in his shoulder, looking him dead in the eye.

“I’ll be fine and so will Jace. You and Izzy were the most affected by Robert’s departure so I understand why you don’t want to see the guy. Which brings me back to my first question, what the hell did you tell Izzy?” he asked again, dropping his hand.

Alec sighed and shook his head.

“I reminded her of how hurt she still was because of Robert and implied it was still holding her back in her life.”

“Did you try and share things with her so she’d be more open to talk to you?” Max wondered. Alec simply licked his lips and shook his head again.

“Well, good luck buddy, because she isn’t going to forgive you easily” Max stated.

“Trust me, I know” Alec sighed. “Alright, I have to go. Give a kiss to Mom for me and tell her I’ll call her whenever I can” he instructed his brother, who nodded. “And you, behave. Work hard and don’t get into any trouble.”

“Sir, yes sir” Max teasingly replied. Alec ruffled his hair again before kissing him on the head.

“I’ll text you later” he concluded before leaving his brother.

*******

Alec entered Magnus’ loft and walked to the dining room. He went to drop his bag in the living room, looked around and noticed Magnus still hadn’t come out. The kitchen was still clean, the coffee machine was still unused and there was no cup, or plate to indicate Magnus’ intention of having his breakfast. Magnus knew at what time Alec was supposed to arrive so he had to be in his room, getting ready for the day. Therefore, there was no need for Alec to go get Magnus, so he simply walked around the kitchen counter, took a glass out of the closet to fill it with water and laid his elbows on the counter.

The last day still hadn’t sunk in on him and he could slowly feel the regret and confusion grow inside him. Isabelle was mad at him, Max and Jace were going to meet Robert and his mother had to be devastated and deeply affected by the situation, even if she was pretending to be okay with this situation.

Alec hated to feel this powerless. He had spent so much time worrying about his family, to make sure everyone was safe and happy, he didn’t want everything to go to pieces just because of one person like it had before. Unfortunately, there was nothing Alec could do anymore. He had done his part, he had tried to keep everyone safe but now, they were grown ups able to chose what was best for them. They might get hurt again and the only thing Alec could do was be there for them.

“What are you sulking about?” said a velvet-like voice. Alec turned around and his breath hitched when he laid eyes on Magnus. He knew the man beautiful, but he honestly thought he’d never get used to it. He was wearing a tight pair of black jeans, deep marron shoes and a tight red shirt. His hair was falling over his forehead and his eyes were simply surrounded by thin lines on liner. His smile however was large and bright. Alec felt his day get better simply by looking at it and it scared him. He had met Magnus the day before and now, he felt like his whole world revolved around him. Well, it did, in a way. Alec’s mission was to protect him and make sure he was safe, but it shouldn’t feel this vital to him to keep him safe and well. Like he would die if anything were to happen to Magnus.

“Alexander?” Magnus tried again as he walked closer to him. Alec blinked multiple times before shaking his head and sent a smile to Magnus.

“Sorry. Nothing important. Don’t worry” he simply said.

Magnus stood next to him and leaned on the counter as well, making Alec shiver but hold his grounds and not let anything show. The look in his eyes, though, almost made Alec faint. He seemed so sincere and so worried, Alec almost wanted to lay it all out.

“I know it’s not my place but talking to a stranger might actually help” Magnus told him with a soft voice.

Alec looked down at his hands, a tight smile on his lips. Sure, talking about it would help his gather his thoughts and know how to handle everything but he didn’t even know where to start? Why was he so affected? Was it because of his father? Because of his talk with Izzy? Or, because of his life in general? Things had been tensed for him, no matter how much he tried to manage his life. He felt like his life was slipping away and he didn’t know how to stop it. Or even if he wanted to stop it, if he were being honest. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell Magnus that.

“I’m having… family issues” he decided to stick with.

Magnus’ eyebrows shot up and he almost looked like he understood Alec’s pain.

“That calls for something way stronger than just… water” he replied eyeing Alec’s glass. “How about whisky?” he suggested.

Alec’s eyes immediately widen, in an almost comic way, before he huffed amused, but also concerned by Magnus’ suggestion.

“It’s not even 10 in the morning!” he replied, which didn’t seem to phase Magnus at all.

“So?”

Alec let out a soft chuckle and slightly shook his head. He seriously wondered how Magnus could be the way he was. Not that he minded, Magnus was a great distraction from everything else in his life, and he wished he could be this joyful at all times, despite every bad aspects of his life.

“I need to keep my head straight, if I want to protect you” Alec reminded him.

Magnus nodded at that.

“My hero” he whispered. “Do you wish to talk about it? Or would you prefer I tell you about the time I almost got Raphael arrested?” he then asked.

Again, Alec looked at him as if a third eye had grown on his forehead and shook his head, chuckling. There was still some time left before the workers would deliver his furniture and start installing everything. Plus, it would help him forget about his home situation and stop thinking for some time.

“I wouldn’t say no to fun story” he answered, smiling.

And Magnus returned his smile, before beginning his tale.

*******

Later on that day, Alec closed the door behind the deliverymen then joined Magnus who was standing in the middle of his freshly furnished living room. Alec couldn’t help but smile when he saw Magnus’ glee on his face. He seemed genuinely satisfied with how the decoration had turned out and Alec was glad that this day had made Magnus feel this happy, as well as making him forget about his current situation.

Moreover, he also had spent the day bossing the men around to make sure his loft would look exactly as he wished. Alec had to admit it looked pretty darn good, even if he didn’t really care matching colors and materials. As long as the place looked good and was practical, it was enough for him. But, he had to confess, he didn’t mind living in a place like this.

“So, Alexander, would you like to be the first person to sit on this fabulous new couch?” Magnus asked him. Alec chuckled but nodded nonetheless. He walked up to the couch, Magnus watching him closely, and sat down on it.

“Damn, it feels even more comfortable than when we tested it at the store” Alec said. Magnus laughed, throwing his head back, and sat down next to it.

“That’s good, then” Magnus smiled.

“Are you happy, now that it’s fully furnished?” Alec asked.

“I am. It gives the sensation of a new beginning” he explained. “I needed that.”

“I can understand” Alec said softly.

Magnus sent him a look just as soft and leaned back on the couch.

“You know,” Alec started again. “After what Jace told me about you, I thought you’d be more guarded with me. That you wouldn’t want to talk to me, or even try to be civil with me. I’m pretty surprised that you’re so… open about everything.”

“What’s the point in lying to you, Alexander?” Magnus sighed quietly. “We both perfectly know why you’re here, we both know I might be in danger again and having you here appease Raphael, and myself” Magnus admitted. “So, I might hate my current situation but I like having you here. I feel like I can be fully honest with you, that you won’t judge me and that is… nice.”

“Well, I’m glad I make you feel safe” Alec replied. “I mean, it’s my job so the opposite would be problematic” he added. Magnus let out a sincere laugh and Alec joined him. Magnus put his head on the back of the couch and looked closely at Alec, who looked right back at him.

Yes, Magnus was the most attractive man he’d ever laid eyes on, and yes, he might have had some inappropriate thoughts about him, but his life had helped him be confident, so looking at someone right in the eyes didn’t bother him. At least, that was what he thought. Staring at Magnus did things to him that he had never experienced before. His heart beat a little faster, his hands felt more clammy and he could feel the slight blush grow on his cheeks. What was that feeling? He had felt attraction before but that was more. So much more. Thankfully, Magnus broke the silence and stopped him from thinking too much.

“I wonder how a beard would look on you” Magnus stated. That took Alec by surprise. He blinked several times, to fully process what he’d just heard and huffed.

“A beard?” he asked, just to make sure.

“Yeah, you have the face for it but would it be like a full-beard or a stubble…” Magnus explained.

Alec brushed his chin, by reflex, and shrugged.

“I’ve had both actually” he told Magnus whose eyes went wide as he put a hand to his heart.

“Dear God in Heaven. You can’t attack me with obscene images like that, Alexander!” Magnus reprehended him.

Alec laughed again and shook his head.

“You really are impossible” he said matter-of-factly.

“It’s part of my charm” Magnus replied, shrugging on shoulder.

“Yeah, it is” Alec admitted in a whisper.

Magnus looked at him, with a hint of fear in his eyes. For him also, all this was new. Sure, he’d been in love before and had his heart broken by love, but what he kept feeling around Alexander, that was something else, entirely. He never knew being in the presence of someone could make you feel at peace like, fully comfortable in your skin and entirely safe. Of course, Alec was there to protect him, so that feeling of reassurance was a given, but it felt different. Different than what he imagined. But it was a good different. A very, _very_ good different. Alec cleared his throat, bringing Magnus back to his senses and stood up.

“I should go to my room and, make myself at home, you know?”

“Right, of course” Magnus acknowledged. “I’ll be in my room, so come find me if you need help.”

“Well, we could go grocery shopping if you want to?” Alec suggested. “The takeout for lunch was great, but, on a daily basis, cooking for ourselves might be easier.”

“That’s a brilliant idea! I already know what I’ll cook for you tonight” Magnus accepted.

“You don’t have to cook for me, we could do it together” Alec suggested, embarrassed to bother Magnus.

“Let me do it, for your first night here” Magnus insisted. “It would be my way of saying thank you. Please.”

Alec wanted to say no, not feeling completely at ease with the idea of bothering Magnus and forcing him to cook for him but how could he say no to that face? That was going to be a problem for their future relationship, but for now, it wouldn’t harm anyone if he agreed, right? Plus, Magnus seemed genuinely excited about it, so it might do him some good.

“Okay, I’ll let you cook for me” he accepted. Magnus let out a happy “yes” which warmed Alec’s heart. “I’ll just drop my bag in my room and we’ll leave, okay?”

“I’ll wait for you right here, darling” Magnus smiled.

*******

“Milk?” Magnus asked as he turned around to look at Alec.

The two men had been strolling along the different alleys of the supermarket, getting whatever they both needed —or whatever Magnus felt like buying at the moment— and getting to know more about each other. According to Magnus, someone’s taste in food was a good way of discovering their true personality. Alec hadn’t comment on it but he had to agree, because Magnus loved many various things, some things that Alec had never even heard of, and he’d heard about a lot a crazy things. However, he had to admit he loved seeing Magnus so enthusiastic about something and not worried about what might happen to him. Worrying was Alec’ job.

“Yes, please. Or I won’t be able to drink my coffee in the morning” he joked. Magnus arched an eyebrow, before putting the bottle in the cart Alec was pushing.

“Your time in the army must have been tough then” Magnus replied, and Alec only tilted his head. “I’m guessing your comfort wasn’t the top priority whenever you were… deployed” he then developed.

Alec smiled softly, touched by the tone Magnus had used, like he was making sure to use the right words, in order to not hurt him.

“You’re right, and that’s exactly why I need milk now. It’s one of the most simple little pleasures I was so happy to have again when I left the army. It’s a way of reminding me I made it through and came back home safe” he explained.

Magnus had stopped walking and fully towards Alec, to listen to him closely. He had this glint of sadness in his eyes that Alec could decipher, but the pride was overthrowing it and it made Alec smile even more.

“You’re a brave man, Alexander, you know that, right?” Magnus asked.

“I do, now” Alec answered cheekily. Magnus chuckled and resumed his walk, looking at the different products.

“By the way, Raphael gave me a file about all the people I should know for this job and I noticed someone in particular” Alec started again.

“Who was it?”

“A young girl, Madzie?”

“What about her?” Magnus asked as he was picking another product.

“Is she your daughter or something?” Alec asked quietly. Magnus froze in his movements and slowly turned towards Alec.

“Trust me Alexander, if I had a daughter, she would be living with me” Magnus teased him, making the bodyguard blush.

“Sorry, that was a really intrusive question” he apologized.

“Don’t worry” Magnus reassured. “I mean, she is my daughter in a way, but not by blood. She used to live in the same orphanage I grew up in. When I met her, I felt this indescriptible connection to her, I had to help her the best I could. I made sure she studied hard at school, that she was happy and now, she’s in college, studying for her dream job and I’m going to make sure she succeed” he concluded proudly, with a wide smile on his face.

“That’s really remarkable, Magnus” Alec assured. “But, why didn’t you adopt her? Wouldn’t it have been easier?”

Magnus let out a deep sigh and resumed walking.

“I was in a… complicated relationship for a long time” he sighed. “I wanted to be a father-figure to Madzie, but I couldn’t bring her into my life style, she didn’t deserve it. Then, my girlfriend at the time threw me into an even more excessive life, that prevented me from seeing Madzie as much as I used to. I almost lost her, you know? She was disappointed in me, but when I explained everything she forgave me and helped me get back on track” he added, with a sad smile on his face. “Now, I’m living a much more healthy life, I help her as much as she helps me, and I never do anything too crazy” he tried to joke.

“I’m sorry my question brought back painful memories” Alec said sincerely. Magnus turned his head to him and smiled.

“Again, don’t worry, Alexander. I trust you, and I know I can tell you anything, because you’re legally bound to protect me and do nothing that could cause me any harm” he teased him, making him laugh. “But I’m serious, I really do trust you, and trust you’ll help me whenever I’m in desperate need of it.”

Alec sent him a shy smile and nodded, to confirm his words. Magnus winked at him and turned around, again, to chose the few last things he needed to get. Alec, on the other hand, kept thinking. Magnus trusted him, a lot, so maybe he could do just the same with him.

*******

The two men sunk into the couch, both their stomachs completely full. Magnus had decided to cook a chicken tikka masala for Alec and while Alec had had his share of Indian food, he had to admit, there was nothing like homemade food. He felt like he was traveling every time he took a bite and he made sure to tell Magnus how much he loved it, repeatedly.

The older man was happy to have made his bodyguard relaxed and to have him forget about his problems for a bit.

“Thank you again, for this dinner” Alec said.

Magnus sent him a smile and nodded.

“And again, you’re very welcome Alexander” he replied.

“I’ll cook for you, one day, if you want me to” Alec added.

“It’s your place as well now, feel free to use the kitchen whenever you feel like it” Magnus stated, softly.

Alec bit his bottom lip, to hold back his smile, then let out a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

“I had a fight with my sister last night” he let out.

“How bad was it?” Magnus simply asked.

Alec simply shrugged, not wanting to answer honestly.

“Did she cry?” Magnus wondered.

“No?” Alec tried. “I mean, she had tears in her eyes but fought against it.”

“Oh, you’re doomed then. When a woman doesn’t cry when she’s been hurt, it means you’ve hurt her plenty” Magnus said with a voice full of concern.

Alec sat straighter and frowned, clearly worried now.

“Really?”

“You never noticed that with you ex girlfriends ?” Magnus asked, curious as to how Alec seemed to have absolutely no experience with women.

“I’m gay” Alec blurted out. “So no female exes. Just a few one night stands here and there” he added. _Please, someone shut him **up,**_ he thought. Why the hell was he blabbering about his quasi non-existent love life? Magnus wasn’t interested in this, he certainly didn’t need to know all about it. However, Magnus small smile made Alec feel a little better. He wasn’t judging him, that was good.

“Well, then. You’re lucky you never had to face an angry woman” he assured him. “But, back to your siblings fight? Was it that bad?”

Alec sighed again and nodded.

“I said some things she needed to hear, but that I should’ve said in a more gentle way” he stated.

“You seem pretty gentle to me” Magnus commented.

Alec sent him an amused look, before shaking his head.

“Not when you hit the right nerves and she knows exactly how to do that.”

“Do you regret what you said?”

“Sort of not?” Alec said, wincing.

“Okay, you lost me there” Magnus admitted.

Alec sighed, understanding he had to dig deeper into the story to make Magnus fully understand what was going on, so he turned his body towards Magnus.

“Our father left us years ago” he said, as if it were the explanation to everything. “I know it affected my sister’s vision of love, but she won’t admit it and pretends everything’s fine and that she’s fully happy.”

“And she isn’t?”

“She is, but not fully” Alec told him. “She still remembers what happened with our father and lets it affect her relationship. She’s scared to make the ultimate promise because of it and I just want her to admit it so I can help her move on” he added, frustrated by the situation.

Magnus tilted his head to the side and carefully studied Alec’s face, as if he were trying to find something there. He could ask many questions about Alec’s father’s departure and so on, in order to fully understand the situation, but he didn’t want to pry. It was not easy to tell someone the story of their life, especially if you weren’t that close to that someone. Magnus was already lucky that Alec trusted him enough to tell him about the fight, so he should stick to that.

“Have you moved on from what happened?” he simply asked.

Alec held his breath for a few seconds, surprised by the question, and turned away from Magnus, looking in front of him again.

“It doesn’t matter if I did or not.”

“It must do to her” Magnus insisted. “If you admit how affected you are by the situation, maybe she’ll realize she can talk to you just as freely” he explained.

“I admitted that I was still affected, but I don’t want her to know how I feel” Alec stated. “She doesn’t know the whole story behind our father leaving and I don’t want her to. She doesn’t need to know.”

“But it’s not fair to her, is it?”

“I simply want to protect her” Alec explained.

“And that is your right, Alexander” Magnus assured him. “But just think of how good it would feel if you were honest with her and with yourself.”

Alec looked at him and Magnus’ heart broke a little. He seemed so scared and confused about all of this, it killed Magnus to not be able to do more for him. Their talk might have been a little helpful and Magnus sincerely hoped Alec would try and do something about his situation because when you have a family that loves you and completely accepts you, you need to hold on to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Until next time :)


	4. Four.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malec fluff and we meet someone from Magnus' past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry for the wait. This chapter was just so hard to get out, I would stare at my computer and the words just wouldn't come out. I knew what I wanted to be in this chapter, I simply didn't know how to write it. It's a much shorter chapter than usual, with a rapid succession of scenes, I'm not kidding when I say it was hard, but now that it's out, the rest should be just like before. 
> 
> I truly wanted to get it out before the Christmas break so we could start the new year with new and better resolutions. I promise that I'll update more regularly (depending on my schedule because college is quite time-consuming haha) 
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and I'll see you after the holidays with a new chapter.
> 
> Happy holidays ! :)

“So, his place is safe?” Jace asked, over the phone.

“Yes. I had a talk with the doorman, we both agreed on how to keep Magnus safe and make sure no one would break into his loft anymore,” Alec explained, before taking a sip of his coffee. “Now, I’m just here to reassure him, protect him when he goes to public events and such. When the situation gets better, I’ll be out of the picture.”

Alec had woken up, fully decided to cook breakfast for Magnus. They had stayed up rather late the night before, talking a bit more about Magnus’ career mostly. It amazed Alec how glamorous, yet tiring this life could be. He had spent his life traveling around the world, far away from his friends —that he considered family— and he always knew it could never last forever. That at some point, everything was going to end because that’s how the fashion world works. However, it had seemed Magnus had made an impact on it as everyone was still obsessed with him, and especially his clothing designs now.

He clearly had an interesting life and this seemed to be the first time he was able to truly settle down. It was very clear that Magnus enjoyed this life way more. He was living a much more steady life, knowing he wouldn’t be flying halfway across the world the next day, he could enjoy spending time with his loved ones and do what he truly loved. Unfortunately, his balance had been thrown away by this intruder who made him crumble and scared him. However, Alec knew it was only a matter of time before Magnus felt fully better. He was strong, no one could ever deny him that so if Alec could help him on his way to feeling stronger than ever, he’d be more than happy to.

Now, pancakes, coffee, toasts, jam, butter, orange juice... All of this was set on the table, just waiting for Magnus to get up. In the mean time, Alec had decided to call Jace to get some updates about Magnus’ case.

“That’s great, I’m glad you took this job, it might do you some good considering our current family situation,” Jace said.

“Our current family situation?” Alec repeated.

“Well, you know, with Robert wanting to come back and stuff,” Jace explained. Alec let out a groan and rolled his eyes.

“You think I’m gonna lose it?” he asked bitterly.

Jace hummed.

“I wouldn’t say 'lose it' but, by the looks of your reaction when Mom told us, it must be eating you alive,” Jace explained.

“It’s not,” Alec replied. “Max told me you wanted to see him and you have the right to do so. Just don’t expect me to do it too.”

“You know we’ll never force you, just do what you’re comfortable with,” Jace reassured him. “If you think seeing him won’t help you in any way at all, don’t see him.”

Alec rolled his eyes again, understanding what Jace was trying to do. He was saying he didn’t want to convince him to see their father but he was dropping those little –not so subtle– hints about how Alec would feel much better in his life if he decided to take the bull by its horns and just do what scared him. Deep down, Alec knew he should. Seeing Robert would most definitely help him get some closure about his father’s departure. He knew it was not healthy to still let it hunt him so many years after but he couldn’t deal with it right now. He just couldn’t.

“Keep me posted about Magnus’ case,” he answered instead.

“Alec, please...” Jace tried.

“Say hi to Clary for me,” he concluded before hanging up. This conversation would not have ended well, he knew it. Jace would have tried in his own, twisted way to convince him and Alec wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready to let his siblings see him face his worst fear, as he wasn’t even ready to face it.

He dropped his phone on the table and took his head in his hands, sighing deeply. Jace was right, their family situation was a mess at the moment and his assignment was the only thing that could prevent him from completely losing it. He might disappoint his siblings and his mother, but at least he was doing what was right for him. That was the most important.

“Why are you always so deep in thoughts, so early in the morning?” a teasing voice said. Alec chuckled lightly and looked up to see Magnus standing, on the other side of the table, looking absolutely gorgeous. As usual. He was looking at him with a certain tenderness in his eyes, it made Alec feel relaxed in a matter of seconds. How was it possible for Magnus to have so much effect on him? He leaned back on his chair and shrugged.

“I suppose people know how to annoy me early in the morning,” he answered with a smirk.

“I’ll make sure to never annoy you too early in the day then,” Magnus replied as he sat down in front of him.

“I don’t think you could ever annoy me,” Alec assured, with a soft voice.

Magnus looked up from the food he was admiring and laid his eyes on Alec. The younger man did not know why the hell he had just said that but, he couldn’t deny it now. He’d known Magnus for a few days and yet, he felt like he couldn’t go on with his life without him now. Despite the entire situation they were in, being with Magnus seemed to be the only moments in his life where he felt like himself. His true self, not the tortured soul he had been for the last ten years. It scared him that a man, almost a stranger, could make him feel so much, but it gave him hope. Hope that things could get better if he allowed them to get better. Magnus finally smiled and fondly shook his head.

“We’ll see about that when I come running to you because one of my suppliers didn’t send the right fabric for a design,” Magnus said and Alec chuckled lightly.

“We’ll see,” he agreed.

“So, what’s all this for?” Magnus then asked.

“I just wanted to make breakfast for you,” Alec shrugged.

“Well, thank you very much for your effort, Alexander,” he smiled.

Alec sent him a shy smile and observed him as he tasted the pancakes. He seemed to like a lot, judging by the way his eyes widen.

“This is succulent, Alexander,” he complimented him.

“Eat as much as you want then.”

Alec grabbed his coffee cup and slowly drank, as he watched Magnus eat. He seemed so enthusiastic about eating, Alec couldn’t help but find it adorable. He looked like a child on Christmas day. Which was surprising considering how good of a cook Magnus was. Also, with his job, he must have eaten much better food than what Alec made. He had traveled all around the world, he surely met the best chefs out there, yet, it almost seemed like this was the best food he ever had. Alec was certain of one thing: he wanted to make Magnus happy everyday of his life if he could.

“I was on the phone with Raphael earlier,” Magnus began. “Apparently, I have been invited to a fancy party tomorrow night and no is not an option,” he added dryly.

Alec furrowed his brows, set his cup on the table and held his head a little higher.

“Where is the party? Who are the guests? I’ll need the full list,” he explained. “What kind of party is it? Will it be safe? Is it…”

“Kind of a forceful, aren’t you Alexander ?” Magnus cut him off, amused.

Alec tried to send him an annoyed look but he like Magnus’ face too much for that.

“Just answer the questions, Magnus,” he told him.

“Raphael will send you the details, don’t worry. You’ll know everything you need to know for the party,” Magnus assured him. “The only thing I can tell you is that the party is just a gathering of big names from the fashion world, from designers to models, be prepared to be amazed,” he smiled.

“I’ll be there to protect you and take care of you,” Alec replied. “I’ll mainly be looking for threats or anyone that might endanger you. Other than that, my eyes will only be on you. The only thing that will amaze me is you.”

Alec could feel a faint blush rise on his cheeks, as he realized what he’d just said. Magnus, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy it a lot as a wide smile spread on his face.

“I’ll make sure to wear my best clothes then,” Magnus assured. “Speaking of which, what are you going to wear?”

“My usual black attire?” Alec shrugged.

Magnus hummed and leaned towards him.

“How do you feel about burgundy?” he then asked.

“The colour?”

Magnus rolled his eyes, slightly amused by his innocence.

“No, the city. Of course the color, Alexander,” he chuckled.

“I usually stick to black, because of my job but I’m not opposed to some changes.”

“Brilliant,” Magnus concluded with a large smile.

Later on that day, Alec was reading his emails, sitting on the couch in Magnus’ workshop. Like Magnus told him, Raphael had sent him the details about the party. It appeared to be a big event for Magnus, for everyone involved in the fashion business actually. Alec was really amazed by all of this info. He knew there was a lot he didn’t know about the world and that everyone was involved in something he might not comprehend but this was a complete different thing. It almost seemed like there was a whole world out there that he had no idea existed. It was impressive, really. Yet, he couldn’t shake the idea that’s he might embarrass Magnus by being there.

After their breakfast, the designer had asked him if they could go to his workshop, because he needed to work on some things. Of course, Alec had immediately said yes, not wanting to keep Magnus from his passion. In the few days they had spent together, the man had noticed that Magnus hadn’t worked once on something. Whether it be sketches, actually create a new design or even take notes for a future project. Alec didn’t know if it was linked to the break-in or if Magnus was giving himself a break but if he felt like working again, he would be more than happy to help him as much as he could.

Magnus came back into the room, holding a jacket and pants in his arms. Alec’s brows shot up, these seemed too plain for Magnus. The colour was amazing —a deep red burgundy— but surely Magnus wouldn’t be wearing just that for such an even, would he?

“Get up Alexander and stand on that platform,” he instructed him, leaving so place for a debate.

Alec simply stood up and went to stand up on the platform. He turned to Magnus and sent him a questioning look.

“Take off your jeans.”

“I’m sorry?” Alec replied immediately.

“Your pants, take them and put these on instead,” Magnus explained.

“Why would you…”

“Just do as I say, Alexander, I promise not to jump on you or anything,” Magnus cut him off with a large smile on his face.

Alec shook his head but eventually did as he was told. He took off his jeans, slightly blushing under Magnus’ gaze, and took the pants Magnus was handing him. He then put on the jacket and opened his arms, like he was asking “what now?”. Magnus, on the other hand, seemed completely elsewhere. He was looking at Alec, from head to toe, repeatedly and it made Alec very aware of himself.

“This colour looks so perfect on you,” Magnus whispered. This time, Alec’s face became completely red. He was not used to receiving compliments that sounded so sincere about his appearance. Sure, he knew he was not that bad to look at, but Magnus’ sincerity was something else.

“Thank you,” Alec said softly. “But they’re a bit loose, don’t you think?” he added looking at the clothes. “Or is it some new trend that I don’t know about?”

Magnus chuckled lightly at that and shook his head.

“No, Alexander, too loose clothes are not trendy no matter how many people try to make it trendy,” he assured. “I had that kept away somewhere and now I need to make some adjustments for it to fit you perfectly,” he explained.

Alec simply nodded and let Magnus work his way around him. His face changed into work-mode almost immediately and it amazed Alec how quickly he got focused. He seemed to be in his own little bubble, like nothing or no one could disturb him or take him away from it. Alec was discovering a new facet of Magnus and it seemed he liked it very much. However, Magnus did not seem as pleased as he was, judging by the way he glared at Alec when he looked up.

“Stop moving, Alexander, or I’ll hurt you,” he threatened him.

“Not on purpose, right?” Alec teased.

Magnus arched an eyebrow and looked at his needles before looking back at Alec, who was not so confident anymore.

“Who knows,” he finally answered, shrugging a shoulder. After that, Alec stopped moving unless he was told so.

 

The next evening, Alec was fixing the cufflinks Magnus had given him and ordered him to wear with his suit and even he had to admit: he looked pretty good in it. Like he told Magnus the day before, he never really paid attention to his work attire. He was supposed to blend in and not catch too much attention if he wanted to be efficient in his job. It almost seemed like Magnus got that part because he suggested a pretty dark colour. Despite the fact that black was the safe choice, burgundy was acceptable. It was different and looked good but it wasn’t bright red nor too fancy. It was perfect.

Alec checked his outfit one last time and got out of his room, calling for Magnus. They had a schedule to respect, and no matter how many times Magnus had repeated they could be “fashionably late”, Alec didn’t want to play with fire. They were expected to be there a certain time, for a certain amount of time —according to Raphael— and Alec had every intention on following the plan. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could leave and Magnus would be safe.

The bodyguard reached the living room, checked he had everything with him and called for Magnus again. This time, he was met with an amused “yes, Alexander, I’m coming” and when he turned around, he stopped breathing. How, just _how_ , did Magnus always managed to take his breath away? Alec had kept on repeating to himself that he should not fantasize about his client, that it was wrong, no matter how many signs Magnus might have given him but how the hell was he supposed to think straight when Magnus looked like _that_?

Apparently, Magnus had wanted to go full black with his outfit. His shirt, his pants, his jacket, his shoes… they were all black and fuck, he looked amazing in it. His hair was styled up, with hints of light brown, his nails were painted black and his eyes surrounded by a thick line of kohl. His bright smile lightened up his whole face though.

“How do I look?” he asked, opening his arms.

“Gorgeous,” Alec whispered.

“Thank you very much. You look very dashing yourself. This colour was such a good choice.”

“Is that why you convinced me to wear it? Because you were going full-black?” Alec asked as his brain started to function again.

“Maybe,” Magnus smiled. “I mean, Tom Ford did sent it as gift, it’s only natural I wear it for an important event.”

“Right,” Alec chuckled. “We have to go now, Raphael is expecting us and I don’t want him to murder us.”

“After you, Alexander.”

 

Magnus and Alexander entered the ballroom and Alec immediately scanned the entire room. Raphael had sent him the plans of the place, to make sure he’d know where all the exits were. Alec quickly found them and kept them in a corner of his mind, in case anything was to go wrong. Magnus greeted a few people, he shook hands, kissed some people’s cheeks and even hugged some others. Alec recognized some of them, thanks to the guest list Raphael had sent him, but he’d need to ask for the others’ names afterwards.

Magnus seemed to be quite liked and respected in this industry. Well, Alec couldn’t say he was surprised. He knew Magnus was brilliant at his job, and he was an amazing person, of course people would like him and try to be friends with him. But one thing Magnus had told him was that he knew who his true friends were. He knew many, many people from various different places in the world, but the only ones he truly cared for were the closest to him. Alec hadn’t need to ask who he was referring to. Raphael and Madzie were at the top of that list, and he also knew Catarina, one of his oldest friends and Ragnor, his business partner, were on that list. Alec hadn’t meet them yet, but the files Raphael had given him were very detailed.

The two men finally stopped walking around and stood by a table. Alec had spotted Raphael in a corner of the room, talking to some people, so he figures they would just wait for him to join them after. A waitress approached them with a plate full of champagne glasses and Magnus gladly took one of them. He sipped it as he watched Alec thoroughly scan the room and the people around them.

“I have to admit,” Magnus began. “Seeing in you in that suit, so focused and serious, is quite attractive.”

Alec tried not to blush too much and shook his head, with a smirk on his face.

“The suit does it all,” Alec answered.

“Oh, the man underneath it would look dashing even if he wore a potato sack,” Magnus assured him.

Alec let out a frank laugh this time and turned to look at Magnus, whose eyes were just so damn pretty up close.

“I guess I’ll take your word for it,” he simply said.

“Magnus. Fancy seeing you here,” a high-pitched voice interrupted them.

Both men turned their heads to look a the brunette, wearing a tight red dress and way too much makeup, standing in front of them and she got two reactions: complete confusion from Alec and boredom from Magnus. The designer straightened up and cleared his throat.

“Camille,” he started and Alec immediately understood how much Magnus despised that person. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m simply surprised to see you here tonight. Weren’t you recently attacked in your home?” she asked with fake concern and Alec decided he hated her too.

“I was, but as you can see, I’m doing much better now,” Magnus replied in the most fake-polite way. “Anything else I can do for you?”

“Try to stay out of trouble tonight, alright? I wouldn’t want you to end up on the cover of some trash magazine because you couldn’t keep it in your pants or because you decided to steal someone’s new collection,” she explained with a large smile and Alec wished he could wipe it out of her face. “Bye now,” she concluded before turning on her heels and walking away.

“Who the fucking hell was that?” Alec let out, with a harsh tone, still looking at the brunette as she walked up to a group of people with her cold smile on her face.

Magnus looked genuinely surprised to hear such words coming out of Alec’s mouth and couldn’t hold his chuckle. Alec smiled lightly, happy to see Magnus less affected by the discussion he just had and waited until he started talking.

“She wasn’t in the files Raphael sent you?” he asked, surprised.

Alec simply shook his head and Magnus sighed.

“That was Camille. My ex,” he breathed out. “Let’s just say we didn’t end things on the best terms.”

“Why?” Alec wondered, curious.

“She was a model and we were dating until she cheated on me,” Magnus declared. “Then, I exposed her to the entire fashion world of New York, explaining how much of a hypocrite she was, which destroyed her career,” he added. “Yet, she managed to marry a rich businessman to get back in the industry.”

“ _Idiota_ ,” Alec muttered.

“I couldn’t agree more, darling,” Magnus smiled. “Anyway, now she hates me for, and I quote ‘being so petty about a simple hookup that didn’t mean anything.’”

“Cheating is unforgivable. Period,” Alec replied, shaking his head.

“Wanna know the best part?” Magnus asked as he leaned towards him. “She fucked him in my bed.”

Alec immediately straightened up, looked at Camille and then looked back at Magnus.

“Do you want me to kill her? I’ll do it quick and hide her body somewhere no one could find her,” he said very seriously.

This time, Magnus let out a loud laugh, which caught the attention of some people around them but Alec didn’t care, Magnus was too beautiful for him to care about anything else at the moment. Magnus didn’t care either, he simply wondered how he could be this lucky? How did he deserve to have such a wonderful man in his life? Well, Alec was there to protect him and make him feel safe, but Alexander was so much more than that. Magnus cupped Alec’s cheek in his hand and the bodyguard froze, surprised by this unexpected touch.

“You’re a wonder, Alexander, but I’ll be fine. I’ve dealt with sharks much more scary than her before,” he reassured him before leaning closer. “Besides, you’re here now, so no matter what happens, I know I’ll be safe.”


	5. Five.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malec fluff.  
> Something bad happens.  
> Malec get... closer?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> Happy New Year! We're in February and I technically can't say it anymore but oh well.  
> Thank you for sticking with this story. Thank you for your adorable comments.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Please, don't hate me too much?
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Ever since that night out, things had been different between the two men. Well, not different per say, but Alec could feel that their dynamics had changed. Like they both acknowledged the fact that they needed each other. Besides the physical aspect of Alec’s job, he meant so much more than a simple bodyguard to Magnus. He was a moral support, someone Magnus knew he could rely on, someone he knew he could be his true self and drop all of his walls with. Alec was a sweet, tender and thoughtful man. He understood Magnus’ fears and made sure Magnus knew he was there for him.

In return, Magnus had managed to be the confident Alec never realized he needed until now. Well, the man knew he needed to talk to someone about his issues, he had thought about seeking professional help, but it turns out, simply having a friend was enough. Besides, Magnus wasn’t a part of Alec’s usual world, they just recently met, Magnus didn’t know anything personal about him prior to their meeting and it felt so nice to Alec to let go for once, to simply be himself and be happy.

Alec knew he couldn’t just let go of all his problems at once. He understood he needed to deal with his issues and confront them if he wanted to be truly happy, but that could wait for when he was truly ready and he felt like that time might come sooner than later.

They were coming back from Magnus’ workshop, after spending an entire day there, and Alec could see a change in Magnus’ behavior as well. He had noticed it since they went out to that party a few days back. They had had a great time with Raphael and other “friends” of Magnus’. Alec had noticed how happy and lighter Magnus felt that night. The bodyguard knew Magnus was trying to appear happy and at ease, but he knew all too well about being in denial and especially about pretending to be in denial. Magnus wasn’t stupid, he knew his friends wouldn’t let him be if he showed how truly affected he had been about the entire thing, so pretending he was fine had been the perfect solution. It seemed to have worked, but Alec could see past that. He might not have known Magnus for a long time but he could see his true self slowly come out of its shell and he couldn’t wait for the man to be truly and fully happy again.

They both entered the elevator, Magnus vigorously typing a message on his phone, while Alec pushed the button leading to their floor.

“Magnus, can I talk to you for a minute?” he started.

Magnus simply nodded, to show he was listening.

“I’ll have to be out tomorrow night,” Alec announced.

Magnus looked up from his phone and slowly turned his head towards Alec. The bodyguard could sense Magnus was not liking what he was telling him but he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Why?” Magnus simply asked.

“I’ve been summoned by my mother,” Alec tried to joke and it worked: Magnus smiled a bit amused.

“Summoned?” he repeated. “What did you do? Broke curfew?” he joked back.

Alec chuckled and shook his head.

“She said she needed to talk to me about Max,” he explained.

“Max, he’s the youngest, right?”

“Yeah,” Alec confirmed.

“So you’re very protective of him,” Magnus stated.

“I am and she knows it so if she wants to talk to me about him, it must be quite important,” Alec added.

Magnus nodded and sighed lightly.

“Alright, I’ll just spend the night in, so don’t worry about me,” he smiled.

Alec returned his smile and took a step closer to him.

“I want you to call me if you need to, okay?” he seriously told him. “Also, I should be back after an hour, two tops, so you will be fine.”

“A lot can happen in that time,” Magnus couldn’t help but muttered.

Alec nodded, a bit defeated.

“I know,” he said with a kind tone. “But the staff of the building is also here to protect you. You could even call someone to keep you company,” he suggested. “If you don’t feel safe, I can always talk to my mom on the phone and stay with you,” he quickly added.

“No, Alexander, don’t do that,” Magnus immediately replied. “You haven’t seen your family in a while and—”

“That’s part of my job,” he cut him off, shrugging.

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I get to take you away from your family,” Magnus continued. “Go see them, talk to your mom and in the mean time, I’ll just learn to get used to being alone again. I don’t to call anyone, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Alec simply put his hand on Magnus’ shoulder and smiled at him. This man was trying so hard to be brave, it was truly amazing. Yet, Alec felt like he never wanted to leave him alone again.

 

The next morning, Magnus was already up when Alec came into the living room. The designer was sitting on the couch, drawing and so focused on it, he didn’t even noticed Alec coming in. At least, that’s what Alec thought when he walked to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. He heard Magnus sigh behind him and looked up to meet his judging eyes.

“What?” Alec asked quite defensive.

“Your clothes, Alexander,” Magnus sighed.

Alec looked down at his black sweat pants and grey sweater and frowned.

“Tan would be very disappointed in your clothing choices,” Magnus added and managed to confuse Alec even more.

“Tan?” he simply said.

“Tan France, the fashion expert?” replied as he sat straighter.

“I don’t…” Alec mumbled.

“You don’t know him? Or Antoni Porowski? The Fab Five?” Magnus questioned him and looked as if he were personally offended.

“Fab Five?”

What the heck was Magnus talking about, right now? The designer dropped his sketch book and pencil on the coffee table before standing up, vigorously shaking his head, and took Alec’s hand to drag him to the couch.

“Oh my God, you’ve never heard of Queer Eye. We need to fix it. Come sit,” he instructed him as he made him sit down and turned on the tv.

Alec had to bite the inside of his cheeks, to prevent himself from laughing too hard. Magnus seemed genuinely worried about Alec’s present lack of knowledge and it was just so adorable to watch. Then his eyes dropped to the coffee table.

“You need to work, Magnus,” he told him.

Magnus simply shook his head and sat down next to him.

“Consider this an extension of my work,” he smiled. “Now, prepare yourself to be amazed and to cry a lot.”

It turned out Magnus wasn’t lying, Alec had cried. But in a cool way, if anyone were to ask. These five guys were doing so much good for the community, it amazed Alec how much people with pure intentions could help and change things for the better. In the middle of episode 3, Magnus had taken his sketch book again and resumed drawing, while peeking at Alec’s reactions from time to time.

They were sharing a private and quiet moment, just between the two of them, and Alec thought it could be the right time to ask Magnus some questions.

“You’ve been quite inspired these past few days,” he started in a light tone.

“I have,” Magnus acknowledged. “It feels really good to be back at it.”

“Is it a new project, or an on-going one?” he then asked.

“Actually, I was working on a new collection but, the break-in interrupted my muse,” he admitted in a quiet tone.

Alec bit his lip, always sad to hear how much this incident had affected him, but he was better now. Clearly, and Alec liked to think he had something to do with that.

“What inspires now?” he wondered.

“You, Alexander,” Magnus answered with a blunt honesty.

Alec’s eyes widen a bit as his cheeks grew redder by the second and Magnus seemed to enjoy it, judging by the amused smile on his face.

“I, uh—” Alec tried but Magnus cut him out of his misery with a laugh.

“In fact, you’ve inspired me for almost an entire men collection,” he told him and that truly surprised Alec.

“Really?”

“Really,” Magnus confirmed. “It’s not over yet but hopefully it’ll be soon.”

Alec nodded again, letting the information sink in before he sat a bit straighter, almost shy as he asked a new question.

“Will I be allowed to see it?”

Magnus sent him a tender look and Alec had to try really hard not to hug him tight right now.

“You’ll be the very first one to see it when it’s complete,” he promised Alec.

 

Around 6pm, Alec joined Magnus who was sitting at the dining table still focused on his sketches. However, Alec could see some tension in his shoulders. A tension that was not present before and he couldn’t help but feel like he should stay. Unfortunately, his mother had been adamant on meeting him in person because it was important, and Alec knew better than to try and argue with his mother when she was asking for something and using, what he liked to call, her “judge voice.”

So, even if he hated leaving Magnus alone, he had no other choice. The only good thing was that he knew he would be safe, this building was truly safe and there was no reason for him to be attacked again.

“Alright, I won’t be gone long. Lock the front door behind me. I’ve checked the windows, I’ve just talked with the staff, nothing is going to happen, alright?” Alec said. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I know I’ll be fine, Alexander,” Magnus responded but Alec knew he didn’t truly believed his words. “I’ll go run a bath, watch some tv and I’ll probably be in bed by the time you come back,” he added as he stood up.

“Still, I need you to call me if you need anything,” he repeated. “And I mean anything, okay?”

“Okay, Alexander,” Magnus smiled softly.

“Okay,” Alec sighed.

He turned around to walk to the front door and turned to Magnus as he opened it.

“Close it well,” he instructed him.

“Yes sir,” Magnus joked. “See you later, Alexander.”

Alec got in the elevator and looked at the numbers going down as he got closer to the entry hall. He couldn’t wait to get home, so he could finally know what his mother wanted so much to tell him, that he had to go see her in person. Especially because Max supposedly was the topic of their talk. His brother had been a good son, a good brother and a good person altogether if he were being honest. It still surprised Alec to this day that his youngest brother managed to grow into this wonderful young man, despite everything that had happened to him.

When he finally got out of the building, he decided to catch a cab. He knew he could walk, but the faster he got there, the faster he could go back to Magnus. He slid onto the backseat and gave the address the driver before taking his phone out. He was going through his emails when Max called him. He frowned, worried something might have happened to his mother and quickly picked up.

“Max? Everything ok?” he immediately asked him. He heard Max chuckled on the other end and relaxed a bit.

“Chill, big bro, everything’s fine,” he reassured him. “Mom just left actually. We were preparing diner when she got a call about a on-going case and she had to leave. She told me to call you to warn you. So, you don’t have to come home.”

“Oh,” Alec let out. He knew his mother truly wanted to talk to him, but he guessed it wasn’t a matter of life or death as he first thought. He felt a little relieved and nodded. “Well, tell her to call me when she’s got time.”

“Will do, brother,” Max agreed.

Alec taped on the driver’s shoulder to tell him he didn’t need the cab anymore. He took a bill out of his pocket and paid him, to apologize, and got out of the car. He ran to the sidewalk, still on the phone and started walking back to the apartment.

“So, tell me, how’s everything?” he asked Max.

“Same old,” Max vaguely answered. “Studies, home, Madzie, repeat.”

Alec let out a soft laugh and shook his head.

“Everything is going smoothly with Madzie, then?”

“Yeah, she’s really great.”

“I’m really happy for you, Max,” Alec sincerely said.

“Thank you, Alec,” Max replied and Alec knew how much it meant to him.

“I have to get back to Magnus but don’t be a stranger, alright?” he told him.

“Promise.”

Alec hung up and entered the building. The doorman nodded at him but Alec noticed there was no one at the main desk. He must be on a break, Alec thought. He called for the elevator and sighed seeing how high up it was, considering he’d just left a few minutes ago. He shook his head, trying to forget his doubts and stepped into the elevator. When he reached their floor, he could feel something was not quite right. He couldn’t put his finger on it but he felt his blood freeze when he approached Magnus’ loft and saw the door not completely shut.

He immediately got into work mode and walked quietly to the door. He couldn’t see any lights coming from the dining room, that meant Magnus was in his room. All the lights were out, except for the one coming from Magnus’ room. Considering the intruder had just came in, he might still have time to catch him before he could hurt Magnus. Alec let the door opened behind him and decided to go for Magnus’ room, hoping he would be there, safe and unharmed.

However, he had to immediately stopped walking when he heard noise coming from his room. Magnus wasn’t a noisy person, he also wouldn’t dare to go through Alec’s belongings, so that was where the intruder was. He might be searching for some kind of weapon, but Alec had been smart enough to put it somewhere only he could get it. He put his back against the wall, next to the door, waiting for the intruder to come out, and when he did, Alec turned on the light, momentarily blinding the person and tackle him to the ground.

He tried to fight Alec, but the bodyguard quickly took ahold of his hands and pin them on the ground, and prevented him for moving his lower body with his legs.

The door of Magnus’ room opened on a stupefied Magnus and the designer’s eyes moved from Alec to the intruder multiple times before the scene caught up to him. Alec, however, didn’t have time to waste. He quickly took in the robe Magnus was wearing and nodded at him.

“Give me the belt of your robe,” he instructed him.

But Magnus didn’t hear him, he was petrified by the scene going on in front of him.

“Magnus,” Alec started again with a softer voice and it seemed to work. “I need you to take a deep breath, to take off your belt and to give it to me, please.”

The designer took off his belt, thank God he had kept his boxers underneath, and handed it to Alec. The bodyguard quickly turned the intruder around so he would be laying on his stomach and carefully tied his hands behind his back.

When he was sure that the man wouldn’t be able to move, he took his phone out of his back pocket and called Jace, his eyes still on Magnus, hoping the designer would be able to move past this as well.

 

“I’ll sue this entire building!” Raphael screamed. The manager had come as soon as Alec called him, which he did after he hung up with Jace.

The detective and his team were scattered around the loft, just like last time, and it took all of Magnus’ willpower not to faint right now. While they were waiting for them to arrive, Magnus had taken the time to put on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater. He was now sitting around the kitchen island, while the intruder, Kevin —he had told them his name when Alec had quite brutally asked for it—, was sitting on a chair around the dining table, Jace, Alec and Raphael standing around him. Actually, Raphael was pacing and screaming, in both English and Spanish, while Jace and Alec were talking to each other in whispers. The scene still seemed surreal to Magnus but he had to accept that it was very true. Someone had tried, yet again, to hurt him and he had no idea why it happened.

“How did this happen?” Raphael continued. “How could you be so incompetent!” he said towards Alec this time and the bodyguard did not seem to like it. However, he didn’t say anything, he just let Raphael vent about how stupid of him it was to leave Magnus alone and to think about what would’ve happened if his mother hadn’t cancelled their plans.

If there was one thing Magnus still couldn’t understand, it was Alec’s lack of reaction. He had clearly showed his concern about Magnus, asking him time and time again if he was okay, making sure he had everything he needed but he hadn’t had the normal reaction. He hadn’t apologized, which made Magnus think that maybe he wasn’t sorry about what happened, but he wasn’t contradicting Raphael who was basically blaming all of this on him. So, what was his opinion about what happened? How did he truly feel about it?

“Oh, so you’re not going to give an answer? _¿En serio?_ ” Raphael then asked.

“How about you tone it down a bit and let me do my job?” Jace decided to intervene and Magnus felt grateful for this, because he couldn’t even begin to imagine where Raphael was going with this.

“Tone it down?” Raphael repeated. “My friend could have been hurt, again,” he reminded them. “How am I—”

“That’s exactly why,” Jace cut him off, “I need you to let me do my job and question this man.”

It seemed to work as Raphael straightened his back and nodded at Jace, before walking away and go lean against the kitchen island. Jace threw a look at Alec, before turning to the intruder.

“How did you managed to get in?” Jace asked in a deeper and much scarier voice.

The man simply looked up at him and didn’t open his mouth.

“How did you know I wasn’t supposed to be here today?” Alec then asked, like he had been waiting to ask this question for a very long time. Magnus looked at him closely, confused as to why he was asking this question. They both perfectly knew how he came to find out Alec wouldn’t be there.

The man sighed and shrugged.

“I don’t have to answer you,” he replied, to which Jace snickered.

“Calling your lawyer won’t help you, buddy,” the blond told him.

“But I’ll have the right to remain silent until he gets here,” the man replied with a sarcastic smile.

This time Alec scoffed and leaned towards the man. As he did so, Magnus could feel the rage emanating from his bodyguard and he truly hoped he’d never have to face this type of anger coming from Alec one day.

“Listen, Kevin. He might have to let you sit there and wait for your lawyer, but I’m not a cop,” Alec reminded the criminal. “I don’t have any obligation to respect your rights. I could break your hand right now if I wanted to. He’d just have to look the other way,” he told him before adding with a chuckle, “Oh, and trust me, I know more than one way to break a man.”

His voice had gone a bit deeper at the end of his sentence and it seemed to work because the intruder went even paler than he was at the beginning. Just like the three other men in the room, he had sensed that Alec was not there to play and he was in no mood to be toyed with by a random dude who decided to do something stupid and dangerous.

“A guy from the staff, that I’m friends with, said someone contacted him to scare some dude,” the man began to confess. “They told us to choose the right moment for it and keep them posted. I was only supposed to spook him a little, ravage his place and get some cash from his safe,” he added. “The bodyguard, you,” he said to Alec, “was supposed to be out tonight. It was supposed to be a quick job and no one would know about it before I left.”

“Someone paid you and your friend to do this?” Jace asked, to be sure he heard it right.

“Yeah,” the man confirmed. “But they told us not to hurt him. Only scare him.”

Alec turned his head towards Magnus who was looking at his intruder dead in the eye and he couldn’t pinpoint what emotion he was seeing in Magnus’ eyes at the moment. Anger? Fear? Resentment? All of the above? He seemed so deeply affected by the entire thing, yet he also had this sort of detached behavior, it only confused Alec even more.

“And the person who contacted your friend, who was it?” Jace questioned.

“No clue,” Kevin admitted. “They used a changing-voice thing and they called us with a new number each time.”

“But you said you were supposed to ‘keep them posted’,” Jace replied.

“We would send a text to the number that had contacted us with, then they’d called us with a new number,” he sighed.

“Sound messy,” Jace commented.

“As long as they got the cash, I don’t really care about the way they do stuff,” Kevin shrugged.

“How did you get paid?”

“You’d have to ask Jake, he’s the one who got the cash.”

“Jake, that’s your accomplice?” Jace asked.

“Yup.”

Jace noted all the info on his note pad and called for an officer, so he could take Kevin with him and instructed him to get all they could about this Jake. They waited until they were somewhat alone and then Jace turned to the other three men.

Raphael sighed and shook his head.

“How did they know you’d be out, Alec? Did you tell anyone?” he asked.

”Of course not!” he replied.

“Then how did they know?” he asked again. “Who did you talk to? Where?”

Magnus sighed, feeling this conversation would end up in an accusation. Him and Alec knew how they discovered Alec would be out, but he couldn’t let Raphael know or they’d never hear the end of it.

“He only spoke to me about it, Raphael,” Magnus intervened. “No one but me knew when he would leave,” he added hoping it would do the trick, but Alec didn’t seem to agree with him.

“The elevator,” the bodyguard let out. “We talked there. They must have listened to us and gather info then.”

Jace and Raphael both looked at him surprised and slightly disappointed. Alec understood their reaction. It was a beginner’s mistake. Alec knew it perfectly. He shouldn’t have talked about something so important and so secretive in such a public place. He was the reason Magnus had been in danger once again, when he was the one supposed to protect him and keep him safe. He’d managed to come back before Magnus could truly be hurt but it didn’t change the fact that he had failed at his job so he would understand if Raphael decided to dismiss him. Surprisingly enough, Raphael didn’t say anything and moved on to more pressing matters.

“We need to find a better place for you,” he told Magnus.

Jace nodded, agreeing with him, but Alec was solemnly focused on Magnus and he could see the man needed some well-deserved rest. His dismissal might simply be delayed, so the least he could do was make sure Magnus was confortable.

“How about we call if off for tonight?” the bodyguard suggested.

Raphael quickly turned his head to him, frowning and clearly disagreeing.

“What? No! We need to…,” he started to reply but Jace cut him off.

“I’ll help Alec find somewhere for Magnus. We have many connections. I’m sure we can find a complete safe place for Magnus,” the detective told him.

The blond had sensed his brother’s uneasiness and decided he should act too. Sure, they still needed to talk about what had happened and what they were going to do next, but for the moment, they all needed a time out and some time to process everything.

“Plus, we all need to have some sleep and move on from tonight,” Alec added. “Especially Magnus.”

This seemed to resonate with Raphael as he took a look at his friend who was staring at his fingers. He was biting his bottom lip and clearly trying to distract himself from what was going on around him. It was a habit he had developed in his deep moments of stress and Raphael hadn’t seen that in a while. He knew his brother all too well and as much as he wanted to protect him and take care of him at the moment, he needed to let him be for a time.

“You’re right,” Raphael agreed.

He walked up to Magnus and put his hand on his shoulder, obtaining his friend’s attention.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, alright?”

Magnus simply nodded and then watched Alec guide the two men to the front door. He let out a deep sigh, looked around then stoop up, feeling all the pressure from the night fall over him, before he walked straight to his bedroom, not hearing Alec call after him.

 

The designer was laying on his bed, literally in the middle of his bed, the lights were on and he was staring at the ceiling. Everyone had left an hour ago? Maybe more? Maybe less? Magnus had no idea. He couldn’t remember how long he’d been laying here, contemplating his life but he couldn’t stop. It had happened again. He had moved to a new place, he had hired a bodyguard, he had been more careful and yet, it had happened again. Someone broke into his house, with the help of the staff of the building.

The man only planned to “spook him a little” but the break-in itself was scary enough. Magnus had been lucky, because the man had been harmless but what would have happened if the intruder had worse plans? Not like kill him or something, but something simply worse… He couldn’t understand how it kept happening and why? Why would someone pay somebody to try and scare him? Who would do something like that?

He startled when he heard someone knock at his door and relaxed when he heard his bodyguard’s voice.

“Magnus? Can I come in?” Alec asked with a quiet voice.

“Yeah,” the man sighed.

The bodyguard entered the room and felt his heart clench when he saw Magnus looking so dejected. They’ve not known each other for long, but if there was one thing Alec knew about Magnus, it was that the man was always lively, positive and always tried to see the best in situations. So seeing him like that only amplified Alec’s guilt and he couldn’t believe he had been stupid enough to indirectly make such a bright man become so off…

He walked up to the bed and put a cup of tea on the night stand.

“I made you some tea,” Alec told him. “I hope it’ll help you relax.”

He looked up from the tea cup and blushed slightly when he met Magnus’ gaze. The designer seemed to be staring at him, but Alec could tell he was lost deep in his thoughts, not truly looking at Alec.

“Magnus?”

“What would have happened if you hadn’t been there,” Magnus said quietly.

Alec felt his heart clench, the guilt growing even more. Magnus was scared, of course he was. It didn’t matter that nothing physical had happened to him, because he was emotionally and psychologically hurt. Those two could be even worse than any physical injury. So, at the moment, Alec needed to make sure Magnus knew he was safe, no matter what.

“I was there, Magnus, that’s all that matters,” he said with a soft voice. “I’ll always be there, alright?”

That was a blunt lie. Alec knew perfectly well that his days as Magnus’ bodyguard were numbered, but Magnus needed reassurance and balance, not to have his entire world even more disrupted. And it seemed to work as Magnus sent him a small smile.

“Thank you Alexander.”

Alec smiled at him and simply nodded.

“I promise we’ll find you a new place, where you’ll be safe and won’t have to worry about something like this happening ever again, okay?” he tried to reassure him even more.

Magnus frowned a bit and sat up on his bed.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight,” he admitted.

“You won’t be,” Alec assured. “I’ll be in the room right next to yours to make sure no one comes in.”

“Sleep with me,” Magnus whispered.

This request truly took the man by surprise, as he almost choked on his spit. Alec knew Magnus was asking him to simply sleep next to him on the bed, but how could he do that without compromising his job? Or even without lying to himself? Alec knew he had been attracted to Magnus from the first time he laid eyes on him. This man had managed to break the walls he had built around his heart and now, Alec knew he needed to tame his feelings even more or he’d be officially doomed.

“Magnus, I don’t think—” he tried.

“Please,” Magnus insisted.

Alec heard his voice crack on this simple word and how was he supposed to say no to that? Alec took in a deep breath, knowing he was not making the right decision, but nodded either way. He was throwing away all of his professional beliefs but couldn’t manage to feel sorry about it. If it helped Magnus feel better, then so be it.

He turned on the bedside lamp and went to turn off the main light. Magnus had scooted over one side so Alec laid on the empty one. He got under the covers, just like Magnus was, and looked at the ceiling, wondering what he was supposed to do now. Talk to Magnus? Wait until he fell asleep?

Magnus didn't let him find other possibilities as he took Alec’s right arm and sneaked his way under it, to lay his head on Alec’s chest. Alec’s arm was around Magnus shoulder, holding him against his chest and Magnus let out a relieved sigh, while Alec tried to not read too much into the situation.

“Goodnight Alexander,” Manus whispered.

“Goodnight Magnus,” Alec replied with a quieter voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: a much lighter chapter and family time ! (which means family drama, sorry)


End file.
